A former monk who worked at a Catholic boarding school has admitted sexually abusing three children aged under 13.

Peter Turner, 80, from Redcar, admitted charges of indecent assault, buggery and gross indecency against three boys when he appeared for trial at York Crown Court.

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Turner, who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, committed the offences more than 20 years ago while working at Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and a parish in Workington, in Cumbria.

He was due to go on trial but entered guilty pleas to 14 charges on Tuesday.

Mr Turner, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue anorak over a navy jumper and blue shirt, admitted 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of buggery and one count of gross indecency with a child.

Child sex abuse

He entered not guilty pleas to three charges of indecent assault but the court heard he will not be tried on these matters.

The court heard that the first boy was aged between 10 and 12 when Mr Turner committed indecent assault and buggery against him between September 1984 and January 1987 while he was at Ampleforth.

His second victim was aged 9 or 10 when he indecently assaulted him between October 1987 and December 1988.

The third victim was aged between 10 and 12 when Mr Turner committed gross indecency and indecent assault against him between June 1987 and June 1990.

The latter two boys were abused while Mr Turner was working in Workington.

Mr Turner was sent to work in a parish in Workington in 1987 after confessing to church authorities about having sexual contact with a pupil at Ampleforth.

He was recalled from Workington and confined to the monastery at Ampleforth after the 2001 publication of the Nolan Report on the problem of clerical child abuse.

Mr Turner was jailed for four years in September 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at the school between 1979 and 1987. The sentence was later reduced by 12 months.

Nicola Gatto, defending, said Turner’s offending stopped when he was recalled from Workington and he had been “dormant” for about 18 years.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, remanded Turner in custody and said he will sentence him on Wednesday morning.