A former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon has been jailed after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences.

Anthony Pierce, 84, from Swansea Vale, pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, February 7 to five counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 16.

He has today been sentenced to four years and one month in prison.

Pierce will spend half of the sentence behind bars, before spending the rest on licence.

Upon release, he will be made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Swansea Crown Court heard the offences, which included sexual touching, took place between 1985 and 1990. This was while Pierce was a parish priest in West Cross, Swansea.

Pierce was Bishop of Swansea and Brecon between 1999 and 2008.

The allegations came to the attention of the Church in Wales in 2023 when the survivor made a disclosure to a safeguarding officer.

It said the disclosure was immediately passed to the police.

Another allegation of sexual abuse involving Pierce came to light after being reported to senior figures within the Church in 1993. However, it was not referred to the police until 2010.

The individual involved, who was believed to be under 18 at the time, had died by the time the church made the police aware.

The Church in Wales says it has since initiated an independent review into this separate claim of misconduct.

Detective Inspector at South Wales Police Sharon Gill-Lewis said: “I commend the bravery of the victim in reporting Anthony Pierce’s actions, which was instrumental in helping bring him to justice.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Detective Constable Sioned Davies, whose work during this investigation was so important in bringing Anthony Pierce’s offending to light.

"South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urges victims to come forward to report it - regardless of when it happened – safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect and dignity and that their allegation will be fully investigated.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a parish priest, Pierce grossly exploited his position of trust in the community to abuse a teenage boy.

“The victim in this case has shown great bravery in speaking out and helping to ensure Pierce faced justice for his crimes.

“Child sexual abuse can have a devastating and lasting impact on the victims, which is why it is so important that anyone who suffers such abuse knows that if they speak out, they will be listened to and supported.

“It is also vital that anyone who has worries about a child’s safety, raises their concerns. They can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or [email protected].”