A FORMER Anglican priest accused of molesting five boys warned one of his victims to keep what had happened to himself because "God doesn't care for liars", a jury has been told.

Raymond Sydney Cheek is on trial in the District Court accused of assaulting the boys, who are not know to each other, between 1955 and 1985.

Four of the men came forward in recent years after news of Mr Cheek being charged over an incident that allegedly occurred in Williams in 1985 became public.

That victim claims Mr Cheek undressed him and rubbed his body against him when he was 15-years-old.

The next day, Mr Cheek allegedly told the boy he should keep what had happened to himself because God doesn't like liars.

Mr Cheek was the Anglican parish priest in Williams at the time.

The other men were allegedly fondled by Mr Cheek between 1955 and 1976 during dealings with him through churches in Ravensthorpe and Albany and the Wembley scouts.

Prosecutor Alan Dungey told the members of the jury they may come to the conclusion that Mr Cheek had a sexual interest in boys and adolescent males.

He said there were "remarkable" similarities between the victim's complaints.

"These men did not know each other, they have never met each other," Mr Dungey said.

"Their dealings with Raymond Cheek are decades apart.

"There are some memories that remain vivid no matter how much time has passed."

Mr Cheek pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecently dealing with a child under age 14, two counts of indecent assault and one count of committing an act of gross indecency with a male person.

Defence lawyer Michael Perrella said prejudice loomed large in the case given there was currently an "unprecedented amount" of publicity around institutional sexual abuse.

He told the jury the passage of time was an important factor to consider when assessing the reliability and accuracy of witnesses.

"To say that the passage of time looms large in this trial is an understatement," he said.

Two of the alleged victims say they were alter boys when they were molested.

One man claims he was aged as young as 8 when Mr Cheek fondled him after telling him it was church tradition for the parish priest to dress the altar boy.