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Jehovah's Witnesses 'refused to reveal details of sex abuse by church elder'
A Jehovah's Witnesses group refused to help police after a paedophile elder had confessed to them, a court heard.
Clifford Whiteley, 73, had admitted the child abuse to a West Midlands branch of the church after carrying out the attack more than ten years ago.
But a court heard the group allegedly refused to reveal details of that confession to police - citing data protection reasons.
After being arrested by police Whiteley initially denied his crimes, before saying: "My life is over now. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot lie. God will judge me."
Whiteley, of Ball Fields, Great Bridge, Tipton, was jailed for nine years at Birmingham Crown Court.
He had previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child and three other serious sexual offences.
Passing sentence, Judge Paul Farrer QC told him: "You used your religion to convince your victim she was complicit in your wrongdoing and, in that way, sought to silence her and, sadly, you succeeded for many years."
The court heard the victim had been brought up in the Jehovah's Witnesses while the defendant was an elder in a congregation in the West Midlands.
