Cheshire vicar and mistress jailed for 'warped' child sex abuse

Stephen Clapham, of Northwood Avenue, Middlewich, was the vicar at All Saints Church in Crewe in 2016 when he began an affair with Sally Shaw. 

Their trysts continued when Clapham, aged 61, moved to All Saints Church in Church Lawton when they began to escalate.

The pair engaged in sexual activity in front of a child and incited that child to become involved. Shaw, aged 52, also took indecent photos of the child and passed them to Clapham.

Shaw, of Mirion Street, Crewe, and Clapham were arrested in 2021 after the abuse came to light when the child made disclosures to staff at school.

Clapham gave largely no comment interviews, aside from commenting on the indecent photographs. Shaw made full admissions.

The couple pleaded guilty to the offences - Shaw on January 27 this year and Clapham on February 24 - and appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday (April 20) to be sentenced.

Stephen Clapham (Image: Cheshire Police)

Clapham and Shaw were both jailed for four years and were put on the sex offenders' register for life.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which is a further safeguarding measure, was also ordered by the court against both defendants; this will be in place for life. Restraining orders were granted to further protect the victim.

Senior crown prosecutor Sarah Egan, a specially trained lawyer in CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service welcomes the sentence passed in respect of Stephen Clapham and Sally Shaw.

"Clapham was a vicar and held a position of trust and authority in the local community.

"He has abused that trust. These two people have put their own warped sexual interests above that of the welfare of the victim.

"This behaviour is completely inexcusable, but they have now been brought to justice.

Sally Shaw (Image: Cheshire Police)

"Their guilty pleas have avoided a trial, which is a positive outcome for the victim, and both have demonstrated remorse for their actions.

"The victim has shown immense strength and courage in coming forward to report this sexual abuse.

"We hope the conclusion of this case allows the victim to move forward and look to the future.

"We would like to thank the victim, witnesses, and the police and prosecution team for all their assistance and support in this matter.

"We would like to remind the public that offences of this nature are taken extremely seriously, and will be prosecuted were the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met.

"We would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime to come forward."

Detective Constable Laura Bradshaw, of Cheshire Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to praise the courage the victim has shown throughout this case.

Clapham held a position of trust and he took advantage of his standing in the parish and abused the trust of his parishioners by committing these crimes.

"Thankfully, as a result of the bravery shown by the victim, Clapham has now been held accountable and both he and Shaw are now behind bars.

"I hope this conviction encourages others to come forward if they have been subjected to abuse no matter how long ago.

"We do listen and we will support you whether that’s in going to court or in finding the appropriate services to assist you.

"While the victim will never be able to forget about what happened, I hope the fact Clapham and Shaw are now in prison and facing the consequences of their actions will provide the victim with some closure and enable them to begin to move forward with their lives."

To report any sexual offence, call Cheshire Police on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/%20