December 2013

Devon teacher admits sexual activity with 16-year-old schoolgirl

A music teacher has admitted taking part in sexual activity with a 16-year-old girl who was a student at the school where he taught.

Paul Smith admitted abusing his position of trust as a teacher with the schoolgirl on four different occasions during the Summer Term of 2012.

He denied raping the girl twice and the prosecution have agreed not to pursue these cases after consulting with the victim, Exeter Crown Court was told.

He will be sentenced in the New Year and has been warned he may face a jail sentence.

Smith, aged 39, of Bourne Avenue, Southgate, London, denied two counts of rape but admitted four offences of sexual activity with a person under 18 while in abuse of a position of trust.

All the allegations relate to April 1, 2012 to July 1, 2012, when he was working at a secondary school in Devon.

Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned the case and ordered a pre sentence report. He told Smith:”You must understand that all options including custody remain open.”

The Judge ordered Smith to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register before leaving Court.

Mr Lee Bremridge, prosecuting, said:”The pleas are acceptable to the Crown.” He asked for seven days to consider a basis of plea submitted by the defence.

Mr Adrian Waterman, QC, defending, said a psychiatric report will be available at the time of the next hearing.

He said:”For the avoidance of confusion, the basis of plea is as set out in the defence statement save for a further concession on one matter that he says he cannot remember happening.

“Other than that it is identical to what he told the police. We may be seeking to persuade the court to consider a non custodial sentence, so I would ask for a pre sentence report.”

December 2013

Corsham man admits to having sex with underage girl

A Corsham man who had sex with an underage girl has been warned he could be facing a jail term.

Lee Collingwood, who also took indecent images and movies of the girl, has also been ordered to register as a sex offender.

The 25-year-old of The Laggar, Corsham, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday.

He admitted the conduct with the girl when she was aged 14 or 15 between the start of 2013 and Sunday June 16 this year.

Collingwood also admitted charges of taking, making and possessing indecent photographs of a child.

He admitted taking the photo during the same five and half month period and making one between Wednesday April 24 and June 16.

The possession charge also took place in the seven week leading up to his arrest and relate to 114 pictures and movies found by police.

Mark Ruffell, defending, said his client was a man of good character and that all of the indecent images were of the same complainant.

Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case to Friday January 10 when he is to be sentenced for the matters.

He warned him: “The fact I am granting you bail should not be taken as any indication of the final outcome of your case.”

Collingwood must now register as a sex offender: the total amount of time he must remain doing so will be determined by the ultimate sentence.

December 2013

Calne gamekeeper admits sexually assaulting teenage girl

Gamekeeper Anthony Sheen who repeatedly groped a 15-year-old girl has been ordered to complete a sex offenders’ programme.

Sheen was told to go on the course after a judge put him on a suspended sentence for the abuse of the young girl.

The 53-year-old put his hand down the teenager’s top, touching her breasts, rubbed her legs and made numerous lewd comments to her, the court was told.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the girl was a friend of the family and would sometimes go out on his quad bike with him.

He said the offences happened while they were in a grain shed and while out on the quad bike.

Miss Marlow said he also gave her money to buy top ups for her mobile phone and would also send her inappropriate text messages.

Sheen, of Spreckley Road, Compton Bassett, Calne, pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault between the start of November last year and late February this year.

Nick Fridd, defending, said his client had made full admissions to what he had done.

Passing sentence Judge Douglas Field said: “You are a man of 53 and as a result of these pleas of guilty you have lost your good character.

“You have offended against this young girl of 15 who was known to you for many years and she was able to place a considerable amount of trust in you and you broke that by groping her on all these separate occasions.

“The pre-sentence report tells me you have opened up to the probation officer and he recommends that you go on this sex offender course.

“He says in the report that this is very a demanding and onerous programme and I agree with that.”

He imposed a four month jail term suspended for two years and told him complete a sex offenders’ programme.

Sheen has also been made subject to a seven year sexual offences prevention order and must register as a sex offender for the same period.

December 2013

Man, 25, is jailed for sex with schoolgirl

A 14-year-old girl broke down at school after telling a support worker she’d been made to have sex with a 25-year-old man against her will – a crown court heard.

Paul Mattox was jailed for four years and put on the sex offenders’ register for life after pleading guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child, in Melton, on September 15 last year.

Leicester Crown Court heard on Friday how the girl, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, broke down at her school four days after the incident.

Philip Gibbs, prosecuting, said: “She was upset and hyperventilating and then made disclosures that she had effectively been made to have sex against her will.”

The court heard that Mattox, of Queensway, Old Dalby, was ‘apologetic’ towards the tearful girl after the incident and told her ‘it wouldn’t happen again’.

The court was also told that Mattox was of previous good character and had no previous convictions.

Robin Howat, defending, said Mattox suffered with learning difficulties and epilepsy. The court heard he may also suffer from autism.

Mr Howat added: “He was educated at a special school and is someone who has limited abilities. Some of the deficits he suffers from are quite entrenched.

“It doesn’t absolve the defendant from responsibility but perhaps puts it in a different light to other cases.”

Sentencing, Judge Simon Hammond gave Mattox some credit for his guilty plea, thereby sparing the victim from having to give evidence.

But he stressed: “She wasn’t to blame. He was the adult and she was the child.

“This offence was sexually motivated. He clearly found her sexually attractive and he took advantage of her.

“The courts have a duty to protect vulnerable young girls from sexual predators .”

Judge Hammond warned Mattox: “If there’s any repetition of this behaviour you may looking at an indeterminate prison sentence.”

December 2013

Skype used by Pilton pervert to groom schoolgirl for sex

A man who groomed a 14 year old girl for sex has escaped a prison sentence because a judge said it would be insufficient for him to have the treatment and support he needs.

Tristan Tapner, 33, of Culverhill Cottages, Pilton, “met” the girl on Skype and asked her if she liked older man and wanted to spend a night with him, to which she said yes, Taunton Crown Court was told.

Their conversations were sexually explicit, they exchanged indecent photos and he asked for pictures of her in her school uniform, said William Hunter, prosecuting.

They agreed to meet for sex in his car, but rumours got around and an anonymous caller tipped off the police, who met the girl. She told them she was meeting Tapner for sex the following day. Officers were waiting and he was arrested.

Mr A. Western, defending, said Tapner, a forklift truck driver, was ashamed at what he had done.

Sentencing him to a three-year community order with a Thames Valley sex offenders’ programme, Judge David Ticehurst said society would be better protected if he learned the reasons for his perverted behaviour.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders programme for five years and put on a sex offenders prevention order without time limit.

The judge said Skype and other social media “provided an opportunity for sexual predators and others to target young, vulnerable people and abuse them”.

Giving credit for the guilty pleas to inciting a child to sexual activity and sexual grooming, he added “I am satisfied you demonstrated genuine remorse for your actions and that your behaviour had not gone further. The offences were committed 15 months ago and there’s been no repetition”.

Tapner was also ordered to pay costs of £1,900 at £20 a week.

December 2013

Child sex attacker who ‘ruined girl’s life’ is jailed

A CHILD sex abuser who ruined a young girl’s life was jailed for eight years yesterday.

The girl, now a teenager, told police that Keith Latham, 57, abused her every other day for 10 years.

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds told Teesside Crown Court Latham began by buying her sweets when she was eight or nine, and he progressed to giving her money saying it was their “little secret”.

When Latham was arrested he said he was sorry, denying the frequency of the attacks, but he did say that there had been an incident.

Peter Makepeace, defending, said that according to a psychiatrist Latham’s behaviour could have been linked to a serious brain injury which he suffered in 1979.

Mr Makepeace added: “He has always maintained that he does not remember the full extent of the offending.

“It is going to be an extremely difficult time in prison for him.”

Judge Peter Bowers told Latham: “I have seen her letter and what you did caused her very serious psychiatric damage.

“From being a young child she had to live in the shadow of what you did and she will do so for the rest of her life.”

Latham, of Melrose Avenue, Billingham, was jailed for eight years, given an indefinite Sexual Offence’s Prevention order banning contact with under-age girls, and ordered to register as a sex offender for life after he pleaded guilty to eight specimen charges of indecent assault between 1998 and 2008.

December 2013

Hull babysitter abused young girls – who then bravely gave evidence against him

A BABYSITTER has been jailed for 12 years for preying on two young girls. Sexual predator Daniel Lee Spence, 29, was only caught when one of his victims, now 14, broke down at school to reveal her ordeal.

Spence, of Hull, still forced the girls to give evidence at a trial before he was convicted by a jury of a seven-year reign of terror.

Last night, the mum of one of the victims said: “These two girls will never be the same again. We are devastated with what has happened – it is sickening. We just wish we had found out earlier to have put a stop to this so much sooner.

“Twelve years is not long enough. These girls will be scarred forever.”

December 2013

Child sex offender back in prison after breaching Prevention Order

An Ilford man jailed for committing sex offences against children is back in prison after breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

December 2013

Top Valley child sex abuser is jailed for 14 years

A MAN who sexually abused a girl for a decade has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Robert Selby, 44, formerly of Flaxton Way, Top Valley, preyed on the girl to systematically carry out sexual assaults against her.

And before she managed to escape his control, he raped her.

Selby, was found guilty of 11 sex offences including two of rape, following a five-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

He has now been sentenced to serve a minimum of 14 years in prison. On his release, he will spend the remainder of his sentence – a period of up to 20 years – on licence.

Detective Constable Paula Wilson, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “We are pleased with the sentence handed to Selby.

“It reflects the horrific nature of the assaults he carried out on this girl, the severe trauma she was subjected to and the fact that she is still coming to terms with what happened – something she will never be able to forget.”

And she added: “However, Selby’s manipulative, cruel and selfish behaviour has now been stopped, thanks to the bravery of his victim who came forward after finding the strength and support to do so. She can now start to try and move forward with her life.”

December 2013

Man with over 20,000 child abuse images is spared jail

A CUMINESTOWN man caught with more than 20,000 obscene pictures of children walked free from Peterhead Sheriff Court last week.

Christopher Horne was spared a jail sentence by Sheriff Lorna Drummond, who imposed a three-year supervision order and ordered the 22-year-old, who has been placed on the sex offenders’ register, to carry out 300 hours of community work and take part in a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Her decision has been criticised by a leading child abuse charity, which said jailing Horne would have sent a strong message to other offenders.

Police caught Horne, of 95 High Street, Cuminestown, with a vast horde of horrific pornography, featuring boys and girls as young as two at the higher end of the obscenity scale with some images depicting sex acts with cats, dogs and horses, on computers at his home.

He admitted taking or permitting the taking or making of indecent photographs of children between March, 2007, and May, 2012.

He also pleaded guilty to a second charge of having extreme pornographic images depicting sexual acts between people and live animals between March, 2011, and May, 2012.

Sentencing Horne, Sheriff Drummond said: “I take a very serious view of these matters, given that there were over 20,000 images of children found.

“The impact this type of offending has on young people is significant, and the court takes a very serious view of this – so much so that prison would usually be the only option.

“However, I’m not entirely convinced you would be able to address your offending behaviour in prison.”

Fiscal depute David Bernard told the court that police officers, acting on a tip-off, raided Horne’s then home at Watson Close, Turriff, on May 31, 2012.

When they later questioned Horne, they seized an iPod containing 12 videos of children between seven and eight and seven clips featuring bestiality.

Two laptop computers were taken from his home and 20,830 obscene images and 21 videos were buried on one machine’s hard drive, with a further 1,430 similar images and one video clip discovered on the other.

Horne’s agent, Leonard Burkinshaw, said: “It does appear that he was drawn into this and became fascinated with these images.

“He is now looking at this as an opportunity to get the help he needs.”

Sheriff Drummond’s ruling has since been questioned by Matt Forde, head of NSPCC Scotland, who said: “In cases of this kind, we must not forget the fact that behind these images are real children who have suffered horrific abuse.

“To possess and view this kind of illegal material feeds a vile trade that thrives on the sexual abuse of very young, vulnerable children.”

December 2013

Pervert who downloaded child abuse images is spared jail

A TEENAGE paedophile obsessed with indecent images of children downloaded them at his grandparents’ house.

Alan Broome, 19, of Painters Lane End, Illogan, was spared jail after admitting downloading thousands of indecent images of youngsters onto his computer at their home in Helston.

He told police he was hunting paedophiles down on the internet rather than accessing the material for his own pleasure.

Philip Lee, for the prosecution, said police searched the address on January 18 after receiving information that someone there was using the internet to access a file-sharing site, used by people to exchange indecent images.

Mr Lee said nearly 9,000 live images and more than 500 films were found on Broome’s computer and storage devices. The material ranged from levels one to five on the scale police use to categorise such images – five being the most serious.

Mr Lee said in an initial interview Broom told police “that he admitted possessing images and sharing them, [he'd] never looked at them but knew what they contained”.

Mr Lee said: “The reason for possessing and sharing them, he said, was to try and locate paedophiles and notify the police of their details.

Prolific

“He denied having any sexual interest in children, boys or girls.”

Mr Lee said forensic examination of Broome’s computer revealed such vast quantities and prolific activity that these claims were “clearly untrue”.

Terry Eastwood, for the defence, said Broome was immature, suffered from low self-esteem and loneliness, and had never had a girlfriend.

He said: “He has been threatened today outside of court and he is a very frightened young man. He is frightened of going to prison.”

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, described a pre-sentence report on Broome’s background and circumstances as “disturbing” and said it showed a man who obsessively spent several hours a day looking at indecent images of children.

He said: “To put it mildly, you have distorted views and I can only hope that, as a result of the order that I am going to make, those views, your attitude, your obsession will change.”

Broome, who admitted 14 counts of making indecent images of children, three of distributing them and two of possessing prohibited images of children, was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years.

He was ordered to be under the supervision of the probation service for two years and take part in an internet sex offenders’ programme.

December 2013

Derby predator’s sex with teens made one 14 yr old girl pregnant

A FORKLIFT truck driver has been locked up for forcing two schoolgirls into sexual acts – making one pregnant at the age of 14.

Kieran Pearson, 22, was jailed for more than six years for a number of offences against the girls.

Derby Crown Court heard that he first approached one of his victims when she was only nine years old via website Facebook – and began abusing her when she was 13.

Both girls began to fall behind with studies as a result of his abuse and one said later: “I hate him. He made me feel bad about myself. I feel worthless.”

When one told Pearson she was only 13, he told her he “was not bothered” by the age gap, the court heard.

Pearson, of Redstart Close, Spondon, was jailed for six years nine months after admitting nine counts of sexual activity with girls aged 13 and 14.

Recorder Adrienne Lucking told him: “At the time you had contact with them, they were children. You demonstrated jealousy and a somewhat violent temperament.”

He also said one victim was left “having to make unbelievably grown-up decisions on whether the child should be adopted”.

The girl initially told her parents the father of her child was aged 15.

Social workers became involved and Pearson was questioned by police.

That prompted the second victim to come forward, giving details of Pearson’s Facebook approach when she was nine and he was around 16.

Shortly before her 14th birthday, he sent another message asking to meet her.

They went to a McDonald’s, kissed and he touched her over her clothing. Mr Short told the court: “It was clear he was intent on having a sexual relationship.”

During the hearing, Pearson walked out of the dock.

When he returned, the recorder told him: “You have the opportunity to hear everything I say and it is important you hear everything said about you, however difficult to get through this process. Remain calm.”

Alwyn Jones, in mitigation, said Pearson had learning difficulties and problems with thinking out his actions.

Mr Jones told the court: “He has the perception of consent from these two young ladies but one readily accepts one cannot have the agreement of a child.”

Pearson was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. He was banned from unsupervised contact with any girl under 16 and from working with children.

December 2013

Security guard jailed for schoolgirl photographs

A security guard who took indecent photographs of a schoolgirl and distributed them on the internet has been jailed for 28 months.

Benjamin Melley, 27, was arrested in February by police officers in Suffolk who were contacted by the child exploitation and online protections centre after he offered indecent images of a child to an undercover police officer in New Zealand, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said that when Melley was arrested in February police seized his laptop computer and a USB drive and when they were analysed they were found to contain a total of 270 indecent images of children and seven films.

He said the children in some of the images were as young as one or two.

Melley, of Bond Street, Ipswich, admitted taking indecent pictures of a child, distributing indecent images of a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and two offences of making indecent images of a child.

Jailing him for 28 months, Judge John Devaux said that once the indecent images of the girl had gone online there was no restriction as to what use they would be put to in the future.

In addition to jailing Melley he ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and made him the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

Mr Potts said Melley had taken pictures of the girl below her waist and had tried to prise her legs apart but she had resisted him.

He said that during conversations with the undercover officer in New Zealand Melley had displayed considerable knowledge of the internet and had provided him with information about software that enabled users to maintain online anonymity.

Charles Myatt, for Melley, said his client had no previous convictions and tried to persuade the court to pass a sentence which would allow him to receive treatment on a sex offenders’ programme rather than send him straight to prison.

He said that while talking in chat rooms to the undercover office in New Zealand, Melley had discussed committing serious offences in relation to the girl but these were fantasy and not fact. “The girl makes no complaint of any serious significant offences being committed against her,” said Mr Myatt.

He said Melley felt genuine remorse for what he had done. “He is disgusted with himself for being drawn into this murky world and allowing himself to behave in the way he has done,” said Mr Myatt.

November 2002

Ex-Scout helper admits indecency

A DISGRACED former adult Scout helper from Caldicot has admitted carrying out an act of gross indecency against a young boy.

Richard Deakin, 33, from Firs Road, who once helped Caldicot 2nd Scouts as an adult, appeared at Newport crown court on Monday to face three counts of gross indecency against three boys aged 13 to 14 who were fishing at Rogiet pond on June 8 this year.

With the trial due to start, prosecutor Huw Evans accepted Deakin’s late guilty plea to one of the charges. He said the other two counts would be kept on file.

Detective Constable Martin Harris, from Chepstow CID, the officer leading the case, told the Argus that on the day of the offence Deakin had approached the boy and offered him cigarettes.

He said Deakin then took off his clothes and committed an indecent act in front of the teenager, but did not touch him.

DC Harris said: “The boy was left upset and shocked by the incident.” Police Constable Matthew Davies, from Caldicot police, paid tribute the boy’s courage in informing them.

He said: “It was a potentially embarrassing situation for him to report to us and he has acted very maturely throughout.”

David Goldsmith, the Scout Association’s Field Commissioner for South Wales, said Deakin was sacked as an adult helper 11 years ago.

“He worked for us an adult helper for a relatively short time. “He has been placed on the movement’s blacklist and is therefore prevented from being in contact with scouts.”

Caldicot 2nd Scouts’ group leader Wayne Roberts said: “The Scout Association carries out rigorous background checks on adults involved with children and in fact it was our policy to do this long before we had to comply with the Criminal Records Bureau.” Robert Buckland, mitigating, said Deakin had no previous convictions.

Judge Mark Furness told Deakin that he may have received more credit for his guilty plea had he entered it at an earlier stage and warned him that he may face a custodial sentence.

Judge Furness said: “The fact that I am adjourning sentence and granting you bail gives no indication of the sentence.

“All options will be open to the court.” The judge asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and adjourned sentence until December 13.

December 2013

Nick Clegg ‘appalled’ by former school head master’s abuse

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says he is “appalled” at the news his former headmaster has been convicted of historical child sex offences.

Roland Peter Wright, 83, of Crown Lane, Farnham Royal, was found guilty of abusing five boys aged between eight and 13 by an Amersham Crown Court jury.

He had denied 10 charges of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child at Caldicott Preparatory School.

Mr Clegg said the nature of the abuse would “disturb everyone”.

“I am shocked and appalled by the gross betrayal of trust and violation of childhood innocence that has been shown to have taken place at Caldicott,” said Mr Clegg.

‘Devastating impact’

“These reports will disturb everyone – but most especially those, like myself, who were pupils at the school and were entirely unaware that such abuse was taking place.

“I can only imagine the devastating impact that such abuse must have had on the young boys who were affected and my heart goes out to them.”

Mr Clegg attended the prestigious Buckinghamshire school between 1974 and 1980 and was joint head boy in his final year.

Wright, who was headmaster for 25 years until his retirement in 1993, committed the offences between 1959 and 1970. He had been cleared of three other charges at an earlier trial.

Det Sgt Joe Banfield, of Thames Valley Police, said: “This result would not have occurred without the support of the many victims and witnesses in this case, who bravely gave evidence and provided statements.”

Gross indecency

Ruth Bowskill, of Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service, paid tribute to the victims of those found guilty of abuse for their “strength and tenacity in coming forward and giving evidence”.

Wright’s conviction, on Tuesday, comes after fellow former teachers John Addrison and Hugh Henry pleaded guilty to sex abuse, it can now be reported.

Hugh Henry, 82, of Pomeroy Close, Amersham, pleaded guilty to gross indecency with a child. He is due to be sentenced with Wright, on 6 February.

John Addrison, 54, of Datchet Road, Slough, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to one count of indecency with or towards a child, and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, at Aylesbury Crown Court in November last year. He will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

David Geddes, 71, from Upper Wield, Hampshire, was cleared by a jury of four counts of indecent assault on a child under 16, at a re-trial in March this year.

August 2012

No hiding place for offenders

TWO sisters who helped police jail the man who abused them as children have warned other sex offenders: you won’t get away with it forever.

The Peak sisters, who suffered years of sexual abuse at the hands of their older brother, have bravely waived their right to anonymity to encourage more victims to come forward and to warn paedophiles that their crimes won’t stay hidden.

It took years before the sisters were able to tell police about what Francis Ross Allen had done to them, but their courage in coming forward, along with statements and evidence from several other witnesses, was enough to put him behind bars for seven years after he was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault following a trial at Derby Crown Court last month.

The abuse began in 1989 when the sisters were just eight years old. Allen, now 43, was in his early 20s at the time. His vile actions meant his sisters suffered four years of torture as he systematically abused them at his now home on Main Street in Taddington.

After the court case, when Allen was also disqualified from working with children and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, the sisters decided to share their story to highlight the truth about sexual abuse and offer help and support to victims.

They have asked not to be named, but one of the women, who still lives in Taddington, said she had taken the decision to go to police last year after a confrontation with Allen in the village.

“We’d told people in confidence at various stages throughout our lives. It all finally came to a head one day and we decided we’d had enough.

“We kept trying to bury it but it wouldn’t be buried. I’d convinced myself I was protecting everybody (by not going to the police).

“I thought I was protecting myself by keeping it secret. I thought I was protecting my parents. I thought I was protecting my sister.

“In that moment I realised that the only person I was protecting was him. He didn’t deserve that protection and I kick myself for not realising it earlier.”

But when Allen entered not guilty pleas to the charges, the sisters knew they would have to relive their ordeal to give evidence in court during his trial.

Now Allen is behind bars for his sick crimes, the two sisters are keen to highlight that abuse like they suffered is much more common than many people realise.

And they are calling for better awareness so children will realise it is wrong and tell someone.

“Statistics show it affects one in four women and one in eight men,” said the sisters.

This is their plea to everyone involved – victims, teachers and families:

“If one in four women were having their houses broken into, there would be public uproar. But because it’s sexual abuse, we like to think it doesn’t happen.

“You are always taught from being a child that it is a stranger who will drag you off down an alleyway (and hurt you) but it is more likely to be a member of your family or somebody you trust.

“We need to realise that this does happen. It’s very much a taboo subject. People just don’t talk about it. Unless people start to talk about it then it will continue to happen because offenders will continue to get away with it.

“Years ago domestic violence was brushed under the carpet, but it is now much more out in the open and people talk about it.

“We’d really like to see the same for childhood sexual abuse, for people not to feel ashamed to talk about it and for people to recognise that it does happen in all walks of life.

“The way to protect children from this is to make them aware, and make them aware that it is wrong. Then, if it did happen they would feel more able to come forward about it.

“I know it’s not a nice thing for any child to know but if it makes a paedophile think twice then good. If somebody is sitting there thinking about abusing children or is abusing children, we want to make them realise that that frightened little child one day is going to become an adult, and that adult will have a voice, and like us, they may decide to use it. If it makes one person think twice then it is worth it.

“Tell someone. Speak out because your silence is only protecting the offender.

“It is never, ever, the victim’s fault. And it is never too late to come forward.

“We tried to bury it but it kept on rearing its ugly head.

“We’ve sat in the shadows long enough, we do not intend to sit there any longer.

“If one person finds the strength to come forward from reading this article then some good has come out of this harrowing ordeal.”

* FRANCIS Ross Allen, 43, of Main Street, Taddington, was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and disqualified from working with children.

A police spokeswoman said: “We would like to praise the victims involved in this case for their bravery in coming forward and speaking to the police.

“This has led to the offender being brought to justice and receiving a lengthy sentence.

“We hope that this case gives other victims the strength to come forward and report similar incidents to the police.”

May 2005

UK website warns of alleged Algarve child-abuser

Nothing more than an exact transcript of what was reported by the News of The World in November 2006, this recent media coverage has nevertheless once again catapulted the Algarve to national attention for allegedly accommodating child abusers.

Back in 2006 News of the World reporters caught up with David Reid, otherwise known locally as ‘Irish Dave’, then a musician in a local popular hang-out ‘The Round Up Saloon’, sensationally announcing his whereabouts and, till then, unknown past.

The Portugal News spoke to Dave in 2006 after these reports rocked the sleepy village. He admitted ‘revealing himself’ to his daughters, but denied ever laying a finger on any of his three children, two girls and boy. He also told how he had served 18 months of a three-year prison sentence on charges of indecent assault and gross indecency, following complaints from his own children.

At the time he told The Portugal News, “I never sexually abused my children”, he said. “I did wrong at home, very wrong. I exposed myself to my daughters and I paid the consequences.

I did my time for this crime but I did not run and hide from it. I have no excuse for what I did. I have tried to understand why I did it and I still don’t know. I am very sorry and I have lived with the guilt everyday for 22 years. But I never touched my son, and I am not a paedophile”.

Claiming to have subsequently been victimised by locals he once considered he knew well, little more was seen or heard of ‘Irish Dave’ until this latest article under the headline ‘Alert to avoid the Algarve’ was published in Portugal’s biggest selling newspaper, re-reporting the News of the World’s initial interview and publishing imagery taken from http://www.webweavers.co.uk/sarahslaw/irishdave.htm.

Whether ‘Irish Dave’ remained in Carvoeiro after the news exploded in 2006 is unknown, though no incident involving the man in question has been reported to date.

Well-liked and a popular performer, at the time Dave Reid vowed to face the local community if they would let him “live in peace” and even said he was “glad the skeletons are out of the closet”.

As with most ‘local gossip’, the topic of ‘Irish Dave’ eventually faded within the Carvoeiro community, though the image of the Algarve as a family haven, for unrelated reasons, is now more questioned than ever.

February 2013

Pervert Molested a Schoolgirl

A PERVERT businessman who boasts his clients include rock stars, churches and Belfast City Council has walked free from court despite being found guilty of molesting a primary schoolgirl.

Sound and lighting systems expert Glen Gamble’s sentence of just three years probation has sparked fury in his native east Belfast with politicians calling for it to be reviewed.

This was the pervert’s second child sex conviction. In 1990 he was found guilty of a similar offence.

Probation reports show that he presents a “high-risk” of re- offending but Belfast Magistrates’ ‘ Court chose to spare him jail.

December 2013

Man had indecent images of children

A man who admitted downloading 7,294 indecent images of children who were as young as 6 months old has been jailed

Peter Elton, of Shutford road, North Newington, near Banbury received a 12 month jail sentence on Thursday at Oxford crown court

The 23 year old pleaded guilty to one count of making indecent images of children, including almost 1000 images at the most serious levels – 4 and 5

He was also made subject to a sexual offences prevention order and has to sign the sex offenders register

December 2012

Sex abuse man has sentence cut

A chef who sexually molested a young girl when he was himself a teenager more than 20 years ago has had his jail term slashed by more than half on appeal.

Paul Chamberlain (38) was prosecuted decades after committing the offences against a girl who was aged as young as seven when he was between 14 and 16.

Chamberlain, of Watergate Lane, off Lubbesthorpe Way, Leicester, was jailed for five-and-a-half years at Leicester Crown Court on August 14, having been convicted of attempted rape and three counts of indecent assault.

On Friday, Mr Justice Ramsey and Mr Justice Irwin, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, cut that term to two-and-a-half years.

The court heard Chamberlain silenced his victim by telling her “everyone around her would die and she would be alone” if she told anyone what was happening to her.

More than 20 years after her ordeal, the girl made a complaint to the police and Chamberlain was arrested in August 2010.

Lawyers for Chamberlain on Friday argued that he ought to have received a lesser sentence because of his own youth when he committed his crimes.

Mr Justice Irwin, allowing the appeal, said: “The sentencing regime now is different for young offenders than for adults. Taking a measured approach to sentencing a 14 to 16 year old, there was not sufficient discount given. The appropriate sentence would be one of two-and-a-half years.”