A priest who worked as a youth leader in Jersey is on trial accused of ten charges of sexually abusing a child in the island – including forcing them to play a part in his “foot fetish”.
Piotr Antoni Glas, who is known as Peter when his Polish name is Anglicised, denies eight counts of committing acts of gross indecency and two counts of indecent assault against the child.
But Crown Advocate Carla Carvalho, prosecuting, told the Royal Court today that the 61-year-old spent years grooming the young child, using his position to get close to the alleged victim and his family.
Mr Glas is alleged to have committed the crimes while he was working for the Catholic Deanery in Jersey.
Crown Advocate Carvalho said the priest took advantage of the child to act on his “foot fetish” by putting their feet against his face while he masturbated, and wrestling the child until their head was near the man’s erect penis.
This happened “countless times”, according to Advocate Carvalho, and was sexually motivated.
Mr Glas is also alleged to have kissed the child twice.
It was only years later that the complainant started coming to terms with what had happened, eventually confronting the priest, who the court was told did not deny the allegations and apologised.
Giving evidence yesterday, the alleged victim described how Mr Glas showed him an “endless flow of generosity and kindness”.
“We started to get very close, very quickly,” he said. “I did not get a great deal of attention [otherwise].
“Then there was this authority figure, this man I looked up to, who gave me a great deal of attention and I certainly enjoyed that.”
At first, the priest asked the child to walk on his back, allegedly to help with back pain, the complainant said.
But after several months the alleged victim said they were asked to walk on the priest’s front.
The priest then asked the child to start kicking his face, the court heard.
The complainant described being at a computer when the priest would lie on the floor by their feet and masturbate, pressing his face into the child’s feet.
He also described how the priest engaged in a “play-fight”.
“He would get my body and get it under control and pin me down,” the complainant said.
“At that point, I started registering that [the situation was] uncomfortable.”
The alleged victim described how Mr Glas overpowered them and placed them so that their face was against the priest’s groin and their feet held against his face.
The alleged victim recounted eventually becoming free and punching the alleged attacker, who was left with a black eye.
Mr Glas is defended by Advocate Simon Thomas.
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae is presiding over the jury trial, which is expected to last until the middle of next week.