December 1998

Former rent boy jailed for child abuse

A FORMER rent boy who sold himself to sailors was jailed for 10 years yesterday.

Grandfather Reginald Carruthers, 59, admitted serious sex offences against teenage girls.

His lawyer told the High Court in Edinburgh that Carruthers’ brutal childhood had driven him to become an abuser.

“It was about absolute power and control over children. He wanted that power,” said advocate Niall McCluskey, defending.

The lawyer went on to tell Lord Cullen how, as a boy, Carruthers had lived in Leith with his parents.

Three sisters and seven brothers shared two rooms.

Carruthers was regularly punished and abused by his sadistic father while his drunken prostitute mother worked at the docks, or spent time with the two regular boyfriends she had on the side

December 1997

Kirk perv jailed for sex abuse

An ex-minister has been jailed for sexually abusing two little girls.

Pervert Kenneth Walker resigned from the Kirk after being put on probation for previous assault charges involving children.

This time the former minister of Aberlour Church on Speyside was jailed for three years for crimes against two sisters aged eight and three.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that the dad of four crept into the bedroom of the older girl dressed only in his underpants and touched her private parts.

He did the same numerous times to the younger sister over a period of two years.

After a trial last month a jury found him guilty of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices

May 1996

Cruel Rev belted his girl till she bled; Children lived under minister’s reign of terror

A crazed Church of Scotland minister thrashed his little daughter’s feet with a belt until they bled. 

The deranged preacher regularly belted three of his four children in the manse, a court heard yesterday. 

The Rev Kenneth Walker’s five-year-old daughter Hannah told police: “He belts us because we are naughty.” 

She held up three fingers to show she had been hit three times by her dad. 

And she said: “Once my foot was bleeding because the belt hit me.” 

She then pointed to the buckle of a belt to show where it had hit her. 

Elgin Sheriff Court heard how Hannah, Jamie, six, and Ruth, eight, regularly suffered at Walker’s hands. 

Jamie told police: “I am worried because dad belts us a lot, a real lot.” Walker, 37, of Aberlour, Speyside, admitted amended charges of striking the three children on the legs and feet with his belt. 

The shamed reverend hasn’t seen his wife, Ann, and their children since January, when the offences came to light. 

He has been having psychiatric help for the last 18 months since the birth of his fourth child, Andrew, a Down’s Syndrome baby. 

The Aberlour and Craigallachie Minister has also been suspended. 

Sheriff Noel McPartlan said he had to consider jailing Walker. 

He deferred sentence for social inquiry, community service and psychiatric reports.

July 1997

Pervert OAP jailed for 1958 abuse

A twisted 78-year-old paedophile was yesterday jailed after carrying out horrific sex attacks on young girls 40 years ago. 

Alexander Currie, who has dementia and is nearly deaf, was jailed for a year for the sick assaults which began in 1958. 

The evil OAP will now be one of the oldest prison inmates in Scotland. 

Stirling Sheriff Court heard Currie began his reign of terror in 1958 when he abused a girl of ten and her six-year-old sister. 

The court was told Currie was 39 when he groped one of the girls as she watched him shave in his bathroom. 

He later simulated sex with her sister as they lay in bed together on a Sunday morning while her family were at church. 

Currie, of Etive Place, Cornton, Stirling, returned to his evil ways almost forty years later when he abused a six-year-old girl. 

The pensioner, who admitted to the charges, was arrested when the child’s mother became suspicious and called the police. 

Sheriff Robert Younger told him: “In view of your age and failing health I am sentencing you to one year’s imprisonment. 

“That is less than your guilt on these charges would normally deserve.”

November 2004

Film request pervert caged

A CRICKET club treasurer from Stafford sent written requests asking for “horrific” sexual abuse of two young girls by their uncle to be filmed, Stafford Crown Court heard.

Loner Stewart Hodgson bought the home-made videos from the uncle at £20 a time – after telling him what to do to the 12 and 13-year-olds in letters.

Some of the videos seized when police raided the uncle’s home in Essex showed scenes of perversion that Hodgson had requested, said Alexander Jacobs, prosecuting.

Hodgson, 46, of Sandringham Close, Baswich, Stafford was jailed for three years after admitting three charges of incitement to commit acts of indecency.

Mr Jacobs said Hodgson’s involvement in the abuse of the girls was discovered after the uncle’s arrest. His mother handed over to Essex police six letters Hodgson had sent to her son. One of them was a thank-you for one of the vile videos, which Hodgson said “was well worth the money.”

He went on to describe what he thought were the “best” parts of the video and also instructions as to the sexual acts the uncle should perform next on the girls. He even offered to pay to see the girls performing homosexual acts.

Hodgson also sent a letter to one of the girls, saying how much he enjoyed the videos and he would like to have sex with them. In return he got a Christmas card from the girls saying “Merry Christmas – thanks for the money.”

The uncle, who cannot be named for legal reasons, last year admitted the abuse of his nieces and was jailed for a total of five years.

He and Hodgson had come into contact “because they both had an interest in young girls,” said Mr Jacobs.

When questioned, Hodgson said he bought the first video for £20. As officers read his letters out loud to him, Hodgson covered his ears with his hands.

Andrew Baker, defending, said Hodgson had made “the fullest and frankest confession to these offences.”

Hodgson was an “isolated” man, his only points of contact being his 86-year-old mother and a local cricket club where he had been treasurer for a number of years. Because of a severe stammer he had been unable to establish a meaningful relationship with other adults and had never had a mature relationship with anyone.

Mr Baker said there was little doubt the uncle gained gratification from Hodgson’s letters and carried out acts suggested by him. “It was abuse of the most horrific kind.”

Judge Michael Dudley told Hodgson: “(The uncle) performed acts with his two nieces which you wanted to see. I accept the abuse was already happening when you became involved … but for you to take a part in directing it is a serious matter indeed. Children have to be protected.”

Along with the jail sentence, the judge also ordered Hodgson to register as a sex offender indefinitely, banned him from working with children for the rest of his life and extended his period of licence to four years following his release from jail.

March 1999

Child abuse images man escapes jail sentence

May 1998

Official jailed for sex assault on boy

A SENIOR officer with a Government development agency was jailed for 60 days yesterday for an indecent assault on a nine-year-old boy.

Jonathan Poore, 40, admitted removing the boy’s clothing and touching him intimately in a bedroom of Poore’s former address in West Lewiston by Drumnadrochit, on 22 March.

Sheriff William Fulton rejected a defence solicitor’s plea for probation and told Poore: “The betrayal of trust involving a child under your care that day is such that only a prison sentence is appropriate.”

Sheriff Fulton also ordered that Poore, head of the press office of Highlands and Islands Enterprise in Inverness, be placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years

July 2005

Man jailed for sex abuse

A FORMBY man who sexually abused a girl more than 20 years ago has been jailed for four years. 

Simon Cooper, 36, had been convicted by a jury at Liverpool crown court of attempting to rape the girl when she was ten and five offences of indecently assaulting her. 

The offences were committed between 1982 and 1986. 

Jailing Cooper, of Barkfield Lane, Formby, Judge Elizabeth Steel called the offences ‘nasty’. 

She also banned him from working with children indefinitely. 

Nigel Power, defending, said there was a negligible risk of him re-offending

September 2002

Court told how children’s trust was betrayed – Tutor jailed

A FORMER Warwick School teacher who sexually abused three girls while giving them maths tuition at his Kenilworth home has been jailed for two years. 

James Huitson had been investigated following a similar complaint four years ago but escaped prosecution. He was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years. 

As he was led down to the cells at Warwick Crown Court, one of his victims shouted: “There are more, and they’ll come forward. He is an evil man.” 

Huitson, aged 57, of Saville Grove, had denied indecently assaulting three girls in the 1990s. 

After more than two hours, the jury found him guilty of three charges, but not guilty of inciting one of the girls to commit an act of gross indecency with him. 

Huitson was a craft and technology teacher. He also gave maths tuition to other children at his home, in a bedroom where he had a desk and two chairs. 

The youngest of the girls gave evidence to the court via a video link. All three told the jury that Huitson repeatedly touched them on their shoulders, thighs or waists before progressing to more intimate contact. 

Huitson claimed the touching was just his nature. But Adrian Keeling, prosecuting, said: “It was more than just his nature, but something he did because he enjoyed it, no matter how inappropriate it was, and you may think also as a grooming process to see how far he could go.” 

Asked why she made a complaint in October last year, Huitson’s first victim explained that she was now a teacher, and when she did some home tuition herself, it “brought back memories”. 

She phoned Childline in 1999 and then went to the police. In March this year Huitson wrote asking her to “search your heart” and put an end to the case, adding that he had since become a Salvation Army soldier. 

Huitson claimed that although he did touch the girls to encourage them or to get them to move so he could see their work, he never did so in a sexual way and would never have deliberately touched a girl’s breasts. 

Judge Marten Coates told him: “If ever anyone was in a position of trust and abused it, it was you.”

January 2005

Man aged 68 jailed for sex abuse

A MAN who sexually abused a girl has been jailed for 12 months despite ill health. 

James Irvine, aged 68, of Lawford Road, Rugby, admitted two charges of indecently assaulting the girl, when he appeared at at Warwick Crown Court. 

Brett Mills, prosecuting, told the court the victim had been nine or 10 at the time. 

The offences came to light when the girl told her cousin on the phone what had happened. The victim’s aunt overheard the conversation and told the girl’s mother. 

Neal Williams, defending, handed in medical reports on Irvine, who the court had earlier heard, had suffered heart problems and asthma and had an abdominal wound which had become infected because he had MRSA. 

Jailing Irvine, Judge James Pyke said: “But for your age, your plea of guilty and your health, the sentence would have been very much longer indeed.” 

Irvine will be subject to an extended three-year period on licence after his release, and will have to take part in a sex offenders’ programme. 

The judge also ordered Irvine to register as a sex offender for 10 years after his release and have no unsupervised contact with children.

April 2000

‘Pathetic old man’ jailed for sex abuse

A FORMER prisoner, who served time for a string of Post Office and shop hold-ups in the 1980s, is back behind bars as a self-confessed child sex abuser.

Michael ”Mickey” Marron, 62, was jailed for three years at Newry Crown Court yesterday.

And his name was placed on the RUC’s sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.

Judge Randal McKay also ordered him to undertake a year’s probation when released from prison.

Marron, of Londa Crescent, Newry, had pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl last June.

March 1999

Foster carer is jailed for child sex abuse

A man convicted yesterday of child sex abuse had fostered vulnerable youngsters up until last year, although allegations had been made against him as early as 1987.

James Farquhar, 42, of Wester Hailes Park, Edinburgh, was jailed for six years after the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh found him guilty of lewd and indecent behaviour toward three children between 1986 and 1991.

Lothian social workers relied on Farquhar and his wife, Margaret, as experienced foster carers, sending them 68 needy children over 14 years, the court heard.

The couple were assessed yearly and deemed to be responsible foster parents

December 2004

OAP jailed for child sex abuse

A PENSIONER was jailed for seven years yesterday for abusing young girls – after he revealed his crimes at sex offenders’ project.

A judge rejected a plea to spare Douglas Hardie, 70, a prison sentence because of his age and problems with his health, including prostate cancer.

Hardie, of Arbroath, had revealed he had sex with a 12-year-old girl at a village in Angus in the 1970s. The abuse continued for three years.

He also admitted an indecency offence towards an 11-year-old girl at his home in Arbroath in 2001, after luring her away from a park.

A background report said he viewed young girls as ‘sexual objects’ and posed a high risk of re-offending.

June 2001

Teacher’s abuse term cut over 17 year hold-up

A JAIL term given to a teacher who abused a pupil was cut to two years from six yesterday because the victim took 17 years to report the case.

Two judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh ruled the delay had caused Neil Cartwright a miscarriage of justice.

The woman went to the police after confiding in a friend, who worked for a children’s charity, about what had happened at school.

Cartwright admitted shameless and indecent behaviour towards her from 13, and having under-age sex with her at Kilquhanity House School, Castle Douglas, between January 1980 and March 1982.

Lord Hardie jailed him for six years at the High Court in Perth this year after hearing that the victim, now 34 and living in Scandinavia, felt Cartwright, 49, of Havant, Hants, had “stolen part of her childhood”.

September 2003

Ex-Scout leader is jailed for sex abuse

A former Sea Scout leader from Stoke-on-Trent who sexually abused nine boys over nearly 20 years has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Callum Thomas Craig, 61, was jailed by a judge at the city’s crown court on Monday after admitting 18 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency at an earlier hearing.

Police said Craig used his various hobbies, which included lighting work in the theatre and an interest in traction engines, to win the trust of children in his care before assaulting them.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Dunning, who led the Staffordshire Police investigation, welcomed the sentence.

He said after the hearing: “Craig acted in a despicable manner, using his main interests, be it the Scouts, theatre or traction engine club, to make connections with his victims and their families.

“Having gained their trust, he then went on to sexually abuse the boys.

“I am extremely pleased that justice has been served for the many victims who have suffered considerable trauma as a result of his crimes.”

Craig’s offences spanned a 17-year period between 1973 and 1990 and were carried out against boys aged between nine and 15, one of whom was in the care of social services.

Craig, of Trent Valley Road, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, had joined the city’s 89th Sea Scouts in 1970, rising to the rank of assistant leader before he left in 1991.

He was involved with amateur dramatics and professional pantomime as a lighting technician at the North Staffordshire Theatre, and was a member of the Klondike Traction Engine Club.

His crimes were investigated by detectives on Operation Thor, a long-running inquiry into historic cases of child abuse in Staffordshire.

Mr Dunning said: “This was a difficult investigation and I am full of praise for the small team of officers whose dedication led to this conviction.”

February 2005

Father ‘robbed life’ of girl he abused

A YOUNG woman who had been sexually abused by her father told a court yesterday that he had destroyed her life and robbed her of her childhood. 

In an emotional address, she said she fought urges to kill herself every day and no words could describe “how your daddy could climb into your bed and rape you”.

The victim waived her right to anonymity, telling Trim Circuit Court she wanted her father publicly named for what he had done.

Judge Raymond Groarke sentenced Danny McGovern (48), formerly of Fordstown, Athboy, Co Meath, and now with an address at Kells, Co Meath, to four years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter when she was aged between nine and 13.

He described the case as “just about the worst” he’d encountered.

McGovern had pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse, indecent assault and buggery of his daughter between 1989 and 1993.

The court heard he started abusing his daughter when she was nine, first by touching her, but later getting into bed with her and abusing her there and also abusing her while she was watching cartoons.

He also made her watch pornographic films and showed her pornographic magazines. He brought her to a shed on one occasion and performed sexual acts on her.

He also bored holes in the ceiling of her bedroom and in the bathroom so he could spy on her.

He had a rope tied to a trap door in the ceiling with a hangman’s noose on it and he told his daughter he would hang himself if she ever told anyone what he had done to her.

On one occasion the victims mother became suspicious but he told her he had been playing with his daughter and had touched her accidentally. The girl did not tell her mother.

The abuse stopped when the victim was 13 after she pleaded with him. Since then he had sought counseling and psychiatric help.

Clinical psychologist Dr Davina Walsh said McGovern had suffered abuse in his own past and posed little risk of re-offending.

Addressing the court, Ms Govern said she had to fight daily to keep away urges to harm herself or kill herself.

She said her father had taken away any chance she had had of a normal life or a normal education. “You robbed me of my childhood. No words could describe how your daddy could climb into your bed and rape you,” she said.

She said she hoped her father would be given a custodial sentence, but nothing would make up for the life sentence she has to endure.

Judge Groarke said the actions were a most appalling series of assaults. “It is depraved, just about as bad as I’ve seen. He betrayed the trust and love of his own child. It is a horrendous account of abuse.”

July 2014

Paedophile joined online game to search for young boys, court told

A JUDGE urged parents to beware that predatory paedophiles may use online gaming as a means of contacting under age children.

The warning was issued by Judge Christopher Prince after he imposed a four-year extended prison sentence on Stephen Quinnell, who has previous convictions arising from a court heard was, “a sexual pre-occupation with young boys”.

Durham Crown Court was told his latest offence involved him befriending a 13-year-old fellow competitor in a shared online game of Xbox’s Call of Duty.

Quinnell, 33, was said to have introduced himself to other players as, ‘Steve, a 34-year-old actor from Chester-le-Street’.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said after other players left the game, Quinnell exchanged details with the boy and asked him to make contact via the live messaging network Skype.

Mr Bennett said over the course of five subsequent Skype link-ups, Quinnell turned the conversation onto sexual matters, culminating in him claiming to have performed a sex act on himself, before urging the boy to follow suit in front of his web camera.

The horrified youngster immediately switched his computer off, but later told another player what had taken place.

He was urged to inform his parents, which the boy did, and his shocked mother reported Quinnell’s actions to their local police force in the south-west of England.

Mr Bennett said based on the description and details given by the victim, the Durham force were informed and visited Quinnell’s home in Allen Street, Chester-le-Street, on May 1.

He was arrested and his computer and gaming equipment were seized.

Quinnell admitted taking part in the online game, but denied trying to coerce the boy into performing a sex act.

But, at an earlier hearing, he admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Referring to Quinnell’s offending history, Mr Bennett told the court: “It’s evident he has a long-term sexual interest in young children, starting with a caution in 2001 for indecent assault.”

He said this was followed by several appearances for downloading indecent images of children, for which he was jailed for 24 weeks in August 2009, having flouted previous restrictions from obtaining such material on the internet.

Mr Bennett said the latest offence was in breach of a sexual offences prevention order and suspended prison sentence imposed at Newcastle Crown Court, in January, also for downloading indecent child images.

Brian Hegarty, mitigating, said the latest offence did not go beyond incitement, as the boy did not actually engage in any sexual activity.

He added that the game itself has an age rating of 18, and Quinnell initially contacted an adult inquiring if he could join the online game.

Jailing Quinnell, Judge Prince also made him subject of a further sexual offences prevention order, and ordered confiscation of the seized confiscation.

As he is subject to an extended sentence, Quinnell will not be released until he has served two-thirds of the four-year period and will then remain on licence for a further five years.

Judge Prince added: “One hopes this will alert parents to the dangers of children gaming online.”

Mr Bennett told the court there were no barriers to anyone joining such games, enabling them to communicate with potentially very young players.

July 2014

Man jailed at Bristol Crown Court for sexual abuse of six-year-old girls

A MAN who admitted sexually abusing two young girls has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Mark Chapman, of Willsbridge, pleaded guilty to four charges of causing or inciting a child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Bristol Crown Court heard the youngsters, who were aged six, were coaxed into touching the 47-year-old’s private parts and he rubbed himself against them intimately.

The girls reported what was happening and police were called in.

Chapman at first claimed that the girls, who cannot be identified, encouraged the behaviour, the court heard.

But Derek Perry, defending, said his client did not put any blame on the children and admitted wrongdoing to avoid putting them through any more harm.

Judge Graham Hume Jones told Chapman: “You encouraged them and in their childish way they enjoyed what was happening.

“You should not have allowed it to happen and you should not have allowed it to continue.

“I have no doubt that those two children are now very confused as to what has happened.

“Because of the background you created in their minds and in the minds of others around them, they now see you as a threat and are frightened.”

Chapman was barred from working with children and handed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning him from unsupervised contact with youngsters.

He was told to register as a sex offender for life.

April 1999

Man, 56, jailed in child sex abuse case

A COVENTRY man has been jailed for two years for abusing two boys.

Robert Jones, aged 56, of Carey Street, Bell Green, admitted four charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency, Coventry Crown Court heard yesterday. 

The court heard Jones had twice indecently assaulted and committed one act of gross indecency against one of the boys, and twice indecently assaulted the other boy, all between 1997 and January, 1999. 

All the offences happened at Jones’s home, said Rhona Campbell, prosecuting. Jones was arrested on January 12 after one of the boys told his parents. 

Defending, Chris Jones said Jones had admitted the offences at the earliest possibly opportunity. 

Judge Richard Cole jailed Jones for concurrent sentences of two years on each of the five charges. Jones was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register on his release from prison.

He will also be subject to a three- year supervision order at the end of his sentence.

January 2000

Man,62, jailed for sex abuse of girls

A COVENTRY man who sexually abused two young girls was today starting a 2 year jail sentence.

Henry Deakin, aged 62, of Cavendish House, Station Street East, Foleshill, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of indecent assault and one of gross indecency against the girls – now aged 11 and 12 – between January and September last year.

Deakin, who is seriously ill with heart disease and emphysema, bowed his head as Judge Richard Cole passed sentence at Coventry Crown Court yesterday.

Andrew Lockhart, defending, said Deakin felt ashamed and uncomfortable for what he had done.

He added: “There was no violence, no threats and no grossly degrading behaviour involved in these offences.”

Sentencing Deakin, Judge Cole, who heard that the defendant had a previous conviction for indecent assault against a child 30 years ago, said: “You are not a healthy man but it would be wrong to deal with this other than a custodial sentence.”

Upon his release, Deakin will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

July 1997

Ex-cop jailed for abusing boy,10

An ex-cop who subjected a young boy to years of sexual abuse was jailed for six years yesterday.

Brian Faulds was a care worker when he began his three-year reign of terror.

He struck up a friendship with the boy, who was just 10 when he lived in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow.

The boy’s family allowed Faulds to take him and his sister swimming and go-karting and the boy often performed gymnastics for him.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he suffered nightmares after the abuse began.

Faulds, 46, now of Crieff, Perthshire, admitted assaulting the boy for three years.

The offences were not connected with his work at a residential centre for teenagers in Johnstone, Renfrewshire. He had also worked with the Met and as a prison officer.

Lord Cameron told him: “At least by pleading guilty you have prevented the final tragedy which would have been this child having to relive in court what went on between you.”

February 2002

Sex abuser victim attempted suicide Man is jailed for total of eight years

A MAN who subjected a young boy to what a judge described as “systematic and grossly depraved” sex abuse was today jailed for eight years.

Downpatrick Crown Court heard that the abuse which Peter Alan Weaving inflicted upon his victim between the age of 9 and 15, was so bad that it drove him to attempt suicide.

Weaving (54) of Molesworth Drive, Bristol, had denied preying upon the boy in his then Co Down home between March 1991 and March 1998.

However, last December a jury took just 25 minutes to unanimously convict him of all 14 counts of indecent assault which he faced.

Details of Weaving’s offences were given to the court as he returned to the dock for sentencing.