A one-time friend of Phillip Jacobs testified on Thursday that the former Saanich priest touched him inappropriately a number of times during tutoring sessions.
The witness, now a young man and one of three complainants against Jacobs, appeared in Victoria Supreme Court and described incidents that at first seemed an odd but absent-minded wandering of a priestB次元官网网址檚 hand, but deemed later in life as inappropriate sexual touching.
Jacobs, 63, is a former parish priest of St. Joseph the Worker church on Burnside Road West, which has an associated Catholic elementary school on the grounds.
Jacobs is charged with sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference of a person under 14 and touching a young person for a sexual purpose. The charges involve three minors under the age of 14, with alleged incidents spanning September 1996 to June 2001, all within Saanich. Jacobs was arrested Aug. 4, 2010 and released on bail.
Crown prosecutor Clare Jennings led the witness through his interactions with Jacobs, who he considered, at the time more than a decade ago, a B次元官网网址渃ool guy.B次元官网网址� With other friends, he helped Jacobs with gardening, attended movie nights at the priestB次元官网网址檚 house, among other activities.
B次元官网网址淚 considered him a friend, a father figure of sorts,B次元官网网址� the witness told the court.
At a point in time, Jacobs began tutoring the witness one-on-one a few times per week over a few months at the priestB次元官网网址檚 residence at St. Joseph the Worker.
The witness said for the first few sessions, he and Jacobs studied at the dinner table, but at the priestB次元官网网址檚 suggestion, they moved to sitting on the couch for better comfort. After a few sessions more, Jacobs suggested the witness could lay back on the couch with his legs on a pillow over JacobsB次元官网网址� lap, for even more comfort while studying.
The witness testified that JacobsB次元官网网址� right hand would slide up and down the witness's left thigh over his pants B次元官网网址� "he went from my knee to my groin back and forth ... the back of his hand touched my genitals.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 definitely felt awkward. I told myself at the time he was being absent-minded,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t happened over a few occasions, the same each time.
B次元官网网址淚t was embarrassing. I convinced myself he was absent-minded.B次元官网网址�
JacobsB次元官网网址� lead defence attorney Chris Considine focused on a few inconsistencies in the witnessB次元官网网址檚 statement to Saanich police and noted that the witness had denied anything inappropriate had happened when he spoke with a school counsellor.
B次元官网网址淵ou told (the police) you couldnB次元官网网址檛 remember if it was one or more sessions, because B次元官网网址榠t was so fricking long ago,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Considine said, quoting the witnessB次元官网网址檚 police transcript.
B次元官网网址淚t was a long time ago. IB次元官网网址檝e put a lock on the subject since,B次元官网网址� the witness responded. B次元官网网址淚 believe today it happened over a few sessions.B次元官网网址�
After the witness moved on from St. Joseph the Worker school, he said he remained friends with Jacobs and would see him periodically. B次元官网网址淵ou didnB次元官网网址檛 feel a risk from him?B次元官网网址� Considine asked. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 feel any risk. No,B次元官网网址� the witness answered.
Considine examined the witnessB次元官网网址檚 enduring friendship with Jacobs, which continued past the point in 2002 when allegations broke that the priest had been relieved of his duties at an Ohio church in the early 1990s after he admitted to inappropriately touching a teenaged boy.
The witness said he felt trapped between two factions in the community, one that supported Jacobs and one that didnB次元官网网址檛. The two exchanged emails periodically until 2006. Considine pointed out that in one email, the witness referred to Jacobs as a B次元官网网址渂est friendB次元官网网址� who B次元官网网址渨orked wonders for the community.B次元官网网址� The same email forgave him for B次元官网网址減ast wrongsB次元官网网址� in Ohio.
Considine suggested the witness only accused Jacobs of wrongdoing after reading about the Ohio allegations in the media and after being influenced by fellow students.
B次元官网网址淭he allegations gave me the time to realize (the touching) was not so innocent and it was more calculated and on purpose,B次元官网网址� the witness said. B次元官网网址淚 always thought it wasnB次元官网网址檛 right. It felt wrong and uncomfortable. When the allegations came out I pieced together why these things happened.
B次元官网网址淥ver time I came to my own thoughts and conclusions. I thought he was absent-minded. I never discounted what I felt at the time,B次元官网网址� the witness said.
B次元官网网址�(You accused him) only after your friends said he was a child molester,B次元官网网址� Considine said.
B次元官网网址淢y friends shared their opinions. I came to my own,B次元官网网址� the witness responded.
The trial continues at Victoria Supreme Court next week.
editor@saanichnews.com
