Former butcher found guilty of indecent assaults from the 1970s

Friday, 1 May 2026 13:05

By Central Radio News

A former butcher has been found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault around 50 years after he committed them.

John Priestley was the local butcher in Croston when he committed the offences in the early 1970s.

Police were first made aware of Priestley’s offending in 2023, when his now-adult victim reported his crimes to us.

Through enquiries, Preistley’s second victim was identified. Both of his victims were teenagers at the time of the offences.

An investigation was launched, and Priestley was interviewed.

Priestley, 82, of Glamis Road, Leyland was summonsed to court, where he pleaded not guilty, putting his victims through the ordeal of a trial.

A jury saw through Priestley’s lies and unanimously found him guilty at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

He will be back in the dock at the same court on 15th June to be sentenced.

DC Will Hogan, of Lancashire Police said: “First and foremost, I want to praise the victims. They suffered with the effects of Priestley’s crimes for almost 50 years before courageously coming forward to them. I don’t doubt that their bravery has helped us bring Priestley to justice.

“Priestley was the local butcher in a small village – he was well known to those in the area, and portrayed himself as an upstanding citizen whilst committing deplorable acts against teenagers. I am thankful that a jury have seen through his lies and he has now been brought to justice.

“I hope that the victims can now begin to move forward with their lives knowing that Priestley has been held accountable for his actions.

“I want to send a message today to anyone who is a victim of a sexual offence. Please know, that however much time has passed, we will listen to you, we will take you seriously and investigate appropriately, and we will do all we can to get you justice.”