THREE elderly Jesuit priests have appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with of sex assaults on schoolboys.

The former teachers have been charged as a result of a police investigation at St Mary's Hall Preparatory School and Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe.

The priests appeared before the court separately and all pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Father Clifford Taunton, 82, of Winckley Square, Preston, was accused of three indecent assaults on boys under the ages of 14. The attacks are alleged to have taken place between 1976 and 1979 at St John's Beaumont School in Windsor, a preparatory school which is twinned to Stonyhurst College.

Father Taunton asked the magistrates to repeat the charges because he could not hear the proceedings. He was granted conditional bail.

Father Joseph Dooley, 79, of Farm Street, London, was charged with two indecent assaults on boys under the age of 16 and one indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14. The offences are alleged to have taken place at Stonyhurst College between 1974 and 1975. He was granted unconditional bail.

Father George Earle, 73, of Johannesburg, South Africa, was charged with three indecent assaults on boys under the age of 16 and one indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14, allegedly committed between 1964 and 1971 at St Mary's Hall.

Father Earle was granted unconditional bail and asked to hand over his passport to the court. All three cases were adjourned until August 20 to be committed to crown court.

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