Peter Ball, paedo bishop and pal of Prince Charles is free from prison halfway through his sentence for abusing 18 teen boys
Prince Charles had penned 'dozens' of letters to Ball in the past
A PREDATORY paedophile bishop and close pal of Prince Charles has been freed from prison halfway through his sentence.
Retired Bishop of Gloucester Peter Ball, now 84, was jailed for 32 months in October 2015 for grooming and abusing 18 teenagers and young men.
One later committed suicide.
It later emerged Ball had enjoyed close ties to the future king, who had penned “dozens” of letters to Ball in the past.
They have since been handed over to the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) to investigate.
Ball, who also served as Bishop of Lewes, was released from prison yesterday after serving 16 months.
He will remain on licence for the rest of his sentence, meaning if he reoffends he is likely to be sent straight back to jail.
His parole conditions bar him from contacting his victims and he will remain on the sex offenders register for another nine years.
During his trial it emerged Ball had trawled schools to hand-pick his victims, and forced some to say prayers naked at his home at night.
In 1993 he was investigated by cops and admitted gross indecency against a boy of 17.
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But he was let off with a caution after police received dozens of supportive letters and phone calls from MPs, a Lord Chief Justice, cabinet ministers and an unnamed member of the Royal Family.
After Ball’s conviction, a spokesman for Prince Charles insisted the heir to the throne had made “no intervention” in the case, despite Ball describing him as a “loyal friend”.
Ball, of Aller, near Langport, in Somerset, later tried to get his caution overturned, accusing his victim of “malice”.
He returned to the church two years after his caution and served the diocese of Bath & Wells until 2010.
Ball was finally brought to justice in 2015.
Last night a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “Public protection is our priority.
"Sex offenders on licence are robustly risk assessed and subject to a strict set of conditions, which may include preventing them from contacting their victims and banning them from entering certain areas, as well as being subject to the sex offenders’ register.
"If they fail to comply, they can be recalled to prison.”
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