A vicar has been jailed today after being found guilty of indecent assault and trying to pervert the course of justice.

Pastor Douglas Goodman was sentenced to three and a half years at the Old Bailey for assaults between Feb 1997 and March 2002 against women at various locations including his office, car, hotels, a cinema and a flat.

Camden Police initially received five separate allegations of indecent assault in April 2002.

An investigation was launched which uncovered further allegations against Goodman.

Goodman was arrested in June 2002 and charged with 1 count of rape and indecent assault against a 28-yr-old woman and further 10 counts of indecent assault against three other women in their late teens.

He was also charged with perverting the course of justice after he attempted to get one of the women to withdraw her allegation by threatening her through a third party.

Detective Sergeant Neil Williamson from Camden Community Safety Unit, who lead the investigation, said Pastor Goodman used his position at the Evangelical church in Kilburn to his own ends.

"It has taken a great deal of courage for the victims to come forward and give evidence.

"They have been very brave throughout this ordeal and hopefully this conviction will send out a strong message to other victims that they will be positively supported, by not only the police service but by the court system as well," Det Seargeant Williamson said.

Goodman was found not guilty of two counts of indecent assault, and no decision was made on all other indictments.