Leeds monk who 'forced boy to give mouth-to-mouth' on trial for alleged sex abuse at Ampleforth College
A monk is on trial after denying sex assaults on a teenager at Ampleforth College in the 1990s, including forcing him to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while pretending to have a heart attack.
Pensioner Michael Callaghan, who lives in Moortown, denies multiple sexually-motivated attacks on a boy at the North Yorkshire Catholic school.
On the first day of his week-long trial at Teesside Crown Court, it was alleged that he kissed the boy on multiple occasions, grabbed him by his bottom, made him sit astride him to simulate sex, made him rub his penis and even made the boy bite Callaghan’s penis through his clothing.
He also said he forced him to simulate mouth-to-mouth on multiple occasions.
Opening the case for the Crown this morning, Mark McKone KC said Callaghan, who is now 71, had been a housemaster at the private school at the time.
The boy was not in the same house as Callaghan but said he would groom him by taking him on outings in his car, would take him shopping in York and for pub lunches.
It was claimed Callaghan spoke sexually to him about his “first wet dream” and would give him lingering hugs that made the boy feel uncomfortable.
Callaghan, of Kingsway Court, Harrogate Road, Moortown, faces 12 counts of indecent assault against the boy, four of which are from when he was under 16, with the rest between the age of 16 and 18.
For the latter charges, Mr McKone told the jury that consent was an issue, given that he was over the age of 16. However, he added: “Whatever his age, this was not true consent given by someone who had a real choice.”
There is also a single count of sexual touching of a 17-year-old boy in 2013, in which it was claimed Callaghan touched his bottom.
The boy said he was followed by Callaghan after a meeting and grabbed and hugged by him, then felt his hand “tightly grip” his bottom. The boy, who made a written complaint to Ampleforth College in August 2024, said he “froze” and was “shocked”.
The first alleged victim was interviewed in December 2022 and again in December 2023.
The trial continues.