April 2023

Pervert vicar and lover jailed ater sexually abusing child

A vicar and his lover have been jailed for sexually abusing a child.

Stephen Clapham was the vicar at All Saints Church in Crewe and later in Church Lawton when he abused the child with Sally Shaw, 52, of Crewe.

The CPS heard the pair began having an affair in 2016 when Clapham, 61, of Middlewich, was vicar at All Saints Church in Crewe.

The affair continued when he moved to All Saints in Church Lawton. Clapham and Shaw engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a child and then incited the child to become involved in their sexual activity.

Shaw took indecent pictures of the child and distributed them to Clapham. The abuse came to light when the child made disclosures to staff at school.

In 2021 both Clapham and Shaw were arrested. Clapham largely gave no comment interviews, aside from commenting on the indecent photographs, though Shaw made full admissions

Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced yesterday (April 20) to four years in prison each. Clapham and Shaw will stay on the sex offenders’ register for life.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also ordered by the Court and will also be in place for life. Restraining orders against Shaw and Clapham were also imposed in order to protect the victim.