A paedophile Catholic priest who abused two young altar boys was sent from Liverpool to Perth after some of his perverted behaviour came to light.
The father of one of Thomas MacCarte’s victims complained to the church about what had been happening but 30 years passed before the police were eventually informed.
The shamed priest stood trial at Liverpool Crown Court and has been convicted of three offences of indecent assault involving teenage boys.
The court heard he let them smoke cannabis and drink alcohol so he could sexually abuse them.
70-year-old MacCarte, now of St Mary’s Monastery, Hatton Road, Perth, pled not guilty to five offences of indecent assault and was cleared of two.
‘Cool’ priest preyed on altar boys
The jury heard the offences happened while the Glasgow-born priest, who “drank too much”, was based at Bishop Eton Monastery in Woolton Road, Childwall, Liverpool.
Robert Wyn-Jones, prosecuting, said one boy thought MacCarte was “cool” and did not lecture boys about sex or lust.
He let him and some friends visit him to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol.
These things were dealt with rather differently back then” Prosecutor Robert Wyn-Jones
However, the prosecutor said: “There was another side to Father MacCarte.
“He was very tactile.
“He would stroke his hair in a way that was far too affectionate.
“He would talk about sex.”
While walking the drunken priest home one night the boy was grabbed by MacCarte, who forced his head under his cassock to his genital area.
He also used to give the boy money and it was only when he told his father about “sexual things” that had happened, a complaint was made to the parish priest.
Abuser sent to Scotland
Mr Wyn-Jones said: “It was agreed that the matter would be dealt with by the church internally and Father MacCarte was moved away to Scotland with the promise that he would be sent on a course.
“These things were dealt with rather differently back then.”
The victim received counselling but had ”always struggled to come to terms with it” and one night after a discussion with a friend about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church he became upset.
This led to the second boy learning about the other’s abuse at MacCarte’s hands.
He went on to reveal how the priest had also given him alcohol and he showed him pornography, particularly gay pornography and sexually abused him.
In 2019, both went to the police and reported what happened to them.
When arrested and interviewed, MacCarte agreed he had worked at the church and told police he remembered the two boys.
However, he denied sexually abusing them and said he could not remember why he had been moved from Liverpool to Perth.
MacCarte told the jury the incidents had not happened and maintained his victims’ claims were false.
He will be sentenced next month.
