A FORMER Methodist lay preacher has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two young boys.

Keith Morton, who was a preacher in Darlington, admitted a series of child sex offences at Stafford Crown Court yesterday.

Morton committed the offences before he moved to Darlington, while he was at a village church in the Lichfield Methodist district and at his former home in Staffordshire.

The 43-year-old, whose last address was in Carmel Road, Darlington, admitted a total of ten offences involving two boys, aged 12 and 13, between 2002 and 2004.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of buggery, six of indecent assault and two of inciting a child to gross indecency, all in Staffordshire.

No details about the circumstances of the offences were given to the court.

Antonie Muller, prosecuting, told the judge that another police force was also investigating Morton, a lay preacher recently at the Elm Ridge Church, Darlington.

Morton, a US national from Connecticut, was in the American army and is a university graduate.

He was brought up in New Haven, Connecticut, in New England, and moved to Darlington in September 2006.

Prior to this, he spent a year in Tachov, in the Czech Republic, teaching English for the Methodist church.

He was arrested in Darlington in July, since when he has been remanded in custody.

Stefan Kolodynski, for Morton, applied for the case to be adjourned so pre-sentence reports on Morton could be prepared by a probation officer.

Judge Mark Eades remanded Morton in custody to be sentenced on December 4.

He also ordered that Morton should be put on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Last night, a spokeswoman for the Methodist church, said: “We are shocked and saddened by these terrible crimes. Keith will not be permitted to work with children or young people in the Methodist church again.

“The church takes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people very seriously and has stringent safeguarding procedures.

“We have cooperated fully with police in the course of the investigation and are offering support to all those affected by this case.

“We ask that people respect their privacy during this difficult time.”