Description
A monk who sexually abused two boys at Ampleforth College has been jailed for seven years.
Michael James Callaghan, 71, of Moortown, Leeds, also known as Father James, denied 12 counts of indecently assaulting the first victim, with four taking place when the boy was under 16, and one count of sexual assault on the second victim.
But following a trial at Teesside Crown Court he was found guilty of all counts, and today, 19 June 2025, sentenced to seven years in prison. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely, which will forbid him from any contact with the victim and from having any unsupervised contact with any person under the age of 16.
The offences took place at Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire, between 1994 and 2013. Callaghan targeted the first boy at Ampleforth between 1994 and 1997. He went on to indecently assault the second boy in 2013.
The first incidents were reported to North Yorkshire Police in December 2022 and an investigation was launched by our Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team.
Callaghan was arrested and interviewed, and despite denying any wrongdoing he was charged.
The court heard victim impact statements from both men in which the men spoke about the impact Callaghan’s abuse had had on their lives.
The first victim described how he felt there were two parts to the abuse he suffered at the hands of Callaghan - the sub-conscious effects from before his acknowledgement of what happened, and the devastating impact on his life since then.
He described how he became withdrawn, stopped taking part in activities he enjoyed, and how it has affected his view of the world and impacted him both financially and mentally.
He said: “This man knows what he has done, he knows exactly how this will have affected me. He knew what he was doing was wrong – why else would it have had to be a secret?
He continued: “Yet, when given the opportunity to acknowledge this himself, he chose to continue the abuse by denying it. He chose to leave me, when I was already devastated myself, having to fight for the 14-year-old boy he hand-picked for his own gratification.
The second victim said: “I looked up to him; I trusted him. And what was the response? He chose to violate my boundaries; first to groom me over a period of time, and then to sexually assault me.”
He described how he suffers from nightmares, panic attacks, becomes startled if someone unexpectedly touches him, and still has sleepless nights to this day.
“He chose to prey on me, in full knowledge of how very vulnerable I was. It all leads me to ask: How come? Why? And how obsessed was he with me in particular, or was I one of a larger number of victims?” he said.
Speaking after the sentencing today, Detective Constable Alison Morris of North Yorkshire Police’s Non-Recent Abuse Investigation Team said: “Not only did Callaghan abuse his position of trust in the most appalling way, taking advantage of vulnerable boys he should have been caring for and protecting, he denied his offences throughout and showed no remorse for the pain and suffering he caused.
“I want to pay tribute to the incredible bravery of the victims, whose courage and support throughout the investigation were vital in ensuring Callaghan was brought to justice. I hope today’s outcome brings them some sense of closure.
“I also want to take this opportunity to reassure any other victims of sexual abuse that the passage of time is no barrier to justice. We are absolutely committed to investigating these offences, no matter when they took place, and specially trained officers are ready to listen, support you, and take action.”