A retired Church of England vicar will be sentenced next month for kissing and groping a 14 year-old girl over four decades ago.
Grahame Leslie Humphries, 71, of Lees Heights, Charlbury, Chipping Norton appeared at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court yesterday.
He had already pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the girl between September 21, 1971 and September 21, 1972.
The court heard the victim wrote Humphries a letter of forgiveness in 1993 and he maintains he did nothing more than kiss her on the lips.
She was due to give evidence today for the court to determine the extent of the sexual abuse, but the prosecution and defence reached an agreement instead.
Judge Michael Hopmeier said: "This was a gross breach of trust, historic, the victim was fourteen years-old at the time.
"He took her into a lay-by in a car, touched her over her clothes and kissed her."
Humphries was a married curate at the time and worked at St. Michael's Church, Earlsfield south-west London.
He stepped down as vicar of Blockley and Bourton-on-the-Hill, Gloucestershire in 2012.
Humphries was quizzed by police at his home address because his poor mobility made visiting the police station difficult.
The victim maintains the abuse was more serious than Humphries claims. "She says he went further than the basis of plea," said the judge.
"That does not mean it did not go further than he's prepared to accept. It's a very serious offence."
He bailed Humphries to return on August 10 for a pre-sentence report.
"The fact that bail continues is no indication of the likely sentence," the judge told him. "It crosses the custody threshold."
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