A RETIRED vicar has denied raping a schoolgirl more than 40 years ago.

Frederick Williams, 74, of Central Street, Ludgershall is on trial this week at Salisbury Crown Court and faces two charges of rape, indecent assault, and indecency with a child under 14.

All the charges, which he denies, relate to the same alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The alleged offences happened in the early 1970s.

He was found not guilty by the jury of one count of rape after receiving instructions from the judge yesterday.

The alleged victim told the court she would go and babysit for Williams at his home in Ludgershall, which is when she says the alleged offences took place.

The court heard it started as “incidental” touching with Williams brushing past or grabbing her, before getting more serious.

The victim alleges she was also made to perform sexual acts on the defendant and was told not to tell anybody.

In her initial evidence the alleged victim said she was about 12 or 13 when the alleged incidents happened. However, when questioned by defence counsel, she said she was unsure of the dates and ages, saying: “I know it happened at my time in secondary school before I was 16.”

The court heard the alleged victim had experienced nightmares and flashbacks.

Williams and his family moved out of the area, moving overseas for work. In 1988 he was ordained as a priest working in a ministry out of the area after working as a civil servant and a salesman.

By 2015, after retiring, he had returned to Ludgershall.

In March 2015, police were made aware of the allegations after the victim sent a letter to the defendant after seeing a removal van outside his home. In the letter she asked him to consider moving away from the area or to admit his “abuse” of her.

Williams contacted police and was voluntarily interviewed where he denied the allegations.

Giving evidence, yesterday, Mr Williams denied any kind of physical or sexual contact with the alleged victim and said the “thought offends me”.

He said the victim would come to his home to have her hair done but he was not absolutely sure about the babysitting but thought it was unlikely.

The trial continues.