Steven James Wild to face trial over alleged sexual assaults

Steven James Wild, the 72-year-old former leader of the Methodist Church in Cornwall, is scheduled to stand trial at Truro Crown Court beginning November 2. Wild faces 11 charges, including 10 counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, involving several women between 2004 and 2019.

The alleged incidents occurred across multiple locations, including Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Southport, Bristol, and Derbyshire. Wild has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is expected to last approximately three weeks.

Wild served as the chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist District from 2008 until 2022. He was suspended from his role in September 2021 during a safeguarding investigation and was confirmed not to be returning to ministry in March 2022. He has been remanded on conditional bail.