A GAY Roman Catholic priest on trial for sex abuse has admitted being shown a child porn film by a close friend.

Tony McSweeney, 68, was father at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Eastwood Road North, Eastwood, before being moved from the church in 1998, just months after his cleaner found pornographic video tapes at his home.

McSweeney denies molesting three youngsters at Grafton Close Children’s Home in Hounslow, West London, between 1979 and 1981.

He admitted being shown a child sex porn film by close friend and care home manager John Stingemore, 72, and broke down in tears as he recalled his gay and S&M pornography collection at London’s Southwark Crown Court yesterday.

Althougyh he admits being shown the clip by Stingemore, whowas originally charged alongside McSweeney but died weeks before the trial started, he said no “alarm bells” rang and he did not alert authorities.

He said of the video: “My best guess would be they (the children) were ten, 11 or 12. Pre-adolescent.

“I have never seen anything inappropriate of John when he was with the kids. I didn’t think much [about it] to be honest.

“The police asked me why I didn’t do anything about it and that was a fair question. The answer is I don’t know.

“We didn’t know then what we certainly know now – that child porn does severe damage to people and I deprecate the whole business.”

The former Scout leader said he was “ashamed” at his collection, but just could not quit his porn habit.

McSweeney fought back tears as he confirmed details of his collection.

He said: “There were seven to my memory, two gay, two straight, lesbian. You can imagine...

“I find this very difficult. I think one was S&M.”

McSweeney, now of Pease Pottage, West Sussex, regularly visited Grafton Close, but denied abusing teenagers there.

Years after his cleaner found his porn collection and he was moved to another parish in Norwich, police found seven indecent images of boys on his laptop.

He denies four counts of indecent assault of three boys under 16, one of taking indecent photos of one of the alleged victims between 1979 and 1981, as well as three counts of making indecent photos or pseudo-photos between January 2012 and February 2013.