A FORMER priest at an Eastwood church has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy at a children’s home.

Tony McSweeney, 68, dubbed the “fat vicar”, is facing jail after being found guilty of indecent assault and three counts of making indecent images of children.

McSweeney, the former Catholic priest at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, in Eastwood Road North, was rumbled by his cleaner, Julia Woodyatt, who found drawers full of child porn and sex toys at the church.

Ms Woodyatt tried to raise her concerns with the church at the time, but it ignored her.

However, the priest soon left the church without explanation.

McSweeney was convicted of preying on the vulnerable youngster while working at Grafton Close Children’s Home, in Hounslow, west London, between 1979 and 1981.

McSweeney was originally charged alongside children’s home manager John Stingemore, 72, who was found dead weeks before the trial was due to start.

Wearing a black suit and red tie and carrying a walking stick, McSweeney stared straight ahead as the jury of six men and five women returned their verdicts at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

He was cleared of three indecent assaults on two other boys at the care home and taking a pornographic photo of one of these boys.

McSweeney was investigated as part of Operation Fernbridge, the police probe into allegations a VIP paedophile ring existed at Grafton Close and Elms guest house, in Barnes, west London.

Jurors heard the priest got sexual kicks out of watching children shower, and he collected child porn.

Stingemore used his connections to help get his close friend a job at Grafton Close, where they molested vulnerable boys together.

In 1998, McSweeney nearly lost his career when his cleaner discovered his stash of sex toys, and pornographic videos at the church.

She played one of the tapes and saw it featured two boys between 14 and 16 years-old having sex, the court heard.

McSweeney was originally threatened with being “banished”

from the priesthood, but after about six months, he was quietly moved to a new parish, St George’s, in Norwich.

McSweeney, of Old Brighton Road, Pease Pottage, West Sussex, was released on bail until sentencing on March 27.