June 2014

Former Crowthorne vicar guilty of four of nine indecent assault charges

A 74-year-old retired vicar has been found guilty of four counts of indecent assault involving two girls aged under 16.

The jury of nine men and three women returned the unanimous guilty verdicts on the four counts shortly before 2.20pm this afternoon.

Brian Spence, of Nursery Close, Hook, is on trial for a total of nine indecent assault charges involving four girls.

All the offences are alleged to have taken place between 1995 and November 1999 when Brian Spence was vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Crowthorne.

He was more recently priest-in-charge at St Mark’s Church in Englefield before he retired.

The jury members went out to consider their verdicts on Monday at 11.35am.

They have now been sent home for the day and will resume deliberations tomorrow morning.

June 2014

Patient at therapeutic hostel found with child abuse images

A patient at a therapeutic hostel was found with child abuse images on a tablet computer after staff spotted him trying to hide the device under his bed.

Antony Turner, aged 19, was ordered to receive supervision after a Judge told him the public would be best protected by him receiving help and treatment.

He was a resident at the hostel in Topsham when he was found with images of children as young as two and three last month.

Turner, of Seabrook, Topsham, admitted five counts of making indecent images and was made subject of a three year community order by Recorder Mr Edward Burgess at Exeter Crown Court.

He has already spent almost a month in jail awaiting sentence.

He told him:”It is important that you understand this is a serious crime. It involved terrible exploitation of children as young as two or three and the things done to them are unspeakable.

“They are done so people can publish the images on the internet and you are encouraging them to do that by looking at this material. The courts have to stop people doing that to prevent children suffering in this way.

“I acknowledge you have problems and you need to have the proper help and therapeutic intervention.”

Mr Gordon Richings, prosecuting, said the images were found on a tablet computer after staff at the hostel became suspicious because they saw Turner hurriedly hiding it as they came into his room.

Police found still and moving images of children being abused.

Mr Lee Bremridge, defending, said Turner has problems which have been exacerbated by the partial withdrawal of support when he reached the age of 18.

He said new arrangements are being put in place to restore the level of treatment and therapy which he needs and this will be the best way of ensuring he does not offend again.

June 2014

Former school caretaker branded ‘wicked’ and jailed for 10 years for rape of young girl

A former school caretaker was branded a “wicked boy and adolescent” after being jailed for 10 years for sexually and physically abusing a young girl when he was a teenager.

Donald Flood, now 59, of Arthington Lane, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Otley, physically assaulted the girl when she was aged five, but within two years the offences had escalated to rape and indecent assault. The incidents began with an assault in 1968.

A jury took five hours to deliver a guilty verdict to all 12 charges, consisting of five charges of rape, five of indecent assault and two of assault causing actual bodily harm at Bradford Crown Court today (Thursday).

Flood, who gave no reaction as he was sentenced, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinately and all of the sentences will run concurrently.

The sex abuse took place in the city when Flood was aged between 14 and 19.

The woman, who went to police in 2011 and cannot be named for legal reasons, had claimed that Flood, a trainee butcher at Rawson Market in Bradford city centre at the time, had a carving knife with him during some of the assaults and had threatened to cut her throat if she told anyone.

The trial earlier heard some of the assaults were alleged to have happened in Peel Park, Bradford and on other occasions he tried to pay her to perform sex acts on him.

He was working as a caretaker at Pool CE Primary School when he was charged last year.

Giving his verdict, His Honour Judge David Hatton told Flood: “These offences were committed by a wicked boy and adolescent, an unhappy one. But one who did not grow into a wicked adult in the 40 years or so which have followed these events.

“These events have deeply affected your victim.

“Your victim has not recovered from these almost nightly events.

“I have to keep sharply in focus that these offences were not committed by a 59-year-old man as you now are. In these circumstances, the sentence must be significantly tempered and reduced accordingly.

“These events came to an end only once, it seems to me, when you found an alternative source for your evident frustration to be relieved. There was a substantial period of sexual abuse.

“Although you were very young when these offences began, as they progressed and your maturity grew, certainly towards the latter stages of these offences, you were at an age to know fully that what you were doing was wrong.

“You also knew the potential affect you were having on your young victim.”

June 2014

Hayle teen downloaded hundreds of child indecent images

A TEENAGER has admitted downloading hundreds of indecent images of children.

Elaine Hobson, for the prosecution, said Preston’s family reported concerns that he was missing to police on September 18 last year.

She said: “He had been suffering from depression and confessed that he had again been accessing the internet for indecent images.”

After Preston was found, police seized two computers from his home, and forensic analysis revealed he had been downloading illegal images ranging from category A to C on the scale used to categorise such material, with A being the most serious.

Preston, of Penmare Terrace, Hayle, had downloaded 689 images in category C, 50 in category B and 20 at A. Ms Hobson said officers also found 41 prohibited images of children, which were cartoons.

Preston admitted to officers on October 8 that he had downloaded the indecent material.

Ms Hobson said: “He said he was particularly aroused by images of young girls aged 12 to 14 … [he said that] he needed professional help to address his desire to look at such images.”

At an earlier hearing, Preston admitted seven counts of making and possessing indecent images of youngsters between November 2011 and September last year and one count of possessing prohibited images of children.

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, said Preston had been warned by the police over a similar matter when he was younger. He said: “The police said, ‘Don’t do it again’, but he did.”

Curt Lewis, for the defence, said Preston had realised the seriousness of his actions. He was receiving counselling before the offences came to light but had not told his doctor he was accessing indecent images of children online, which Judge Harvey Clark described as concerning.

Preston was sentenced to eight months in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years, and ordered to be under the supervision of the probation service for two years.

He was also told to take part in an internet sex offenders’ programme, sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and be subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

Judge Harvey Clark added: “I hope that as a result of today and the orders that I have just made you will be able to change your attitudes.”

June 1999

Sex fiend snared by brave girl

A PAEDOPHILE trapped by the courage of an 11-year-old girl was jailed for nine years yesterday. 

The girl, who had attempted suicide, twice went through the ordeal of complaining of sexual assault. 

She first told police Graham Thomas, 30, had indecently assaulted her. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for two and a half years in February. 

But once he was behind bars she went back to the police and complained of being raped twice. 

Thomas, of Mount Estate in Milford Haven, was rearrested in his cell at Swansea prison and charged. 

He denied rape but was unanimously convicted by a jury at Swansea Crown Court. 

Judge Hugh Williams told him: “The one good thing to emerge from this girl’s ordeal was that all of us could see she was a truthful child.” 

Thomas complained in the witness box the girl had invented the rapes. 

Her mother said: “It took enormous courage for her to come forward twice. 

“Thomas threatened to kill her if she told anyone. When he was in prison she felt safe enough to tell the full story. 

“My daughter now writes to other young victims giving them her support so that they will find the courage to do what has to be done to stop these terrible offences. 

“She is serving a life sentence and Thomas has got what he deserved. 

“Justice has been done, although it’s difficult for me to think in terms of years. Years alone are not enough.” 

Judge Williams told Thomas: “You planned these rapes. You chose the time and the place and created the opportunity. The girl was terrified of you.” 

When released Thomas will have to register as a sex offender.

March 1982

Youth charity job for sex offender 

January 1983

Jail for head in 100 sex cases 

June 2014

Paedophile bus driver jailed for exchanging explicit pictures with autistic pupil after grooming him with sweets

A pervert school bus driver exchanged explicit pictures with an autistic pupil over Facebook after grooming him with sweets.

Jason Foster, 45, of Ivor Street, Rochdale, was jailed for two years after admitting nine child sex charges during a 12-month period.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard how he befriended the teenage boy by leaving presents such as Freddo chocolate bars underneath a straw hat on the youngster’s seat on the bus.

Foster, who traded as Rochdale-based Almin Travel, went on to buy more expensive gifts such as vodka and T-shirts and would stroke the boy’s genitals over his clothing as he helped fasten his seatbelt.

As their relationship escalated Foster began a series of seedy Facebook chats – in which he asked the boy to be his ‘bf’ (boyfriend) – and eventually persuaded him to send an intimate picture of himself.

Foster later sent an explicit picture of himself and began talking about having sex with the child.

The grooming was uncovered when the worried boy told his mum and another adult about the messages.

When police went to speak to Foster they found a straw hat containing sweets on his bus and he was arrested.

A victim impact statement from the victim’s mother which was read to the court detailed how the grooming had a ‘catastrophic’ impact on his life – including self-harming incidents in which he’s injected syringes into his eyeballs.

She said: “Since these events he’s experienced nightmares, in particular about Jason Foster.

“He sleeps with the metal extension of the hoover in case Jason gets into our house.”

Defending, Guy Mathieson said Foster had struggled to comprehend the severity of his crimes.

He said: “Mr Foster became besotted with him. He felt it was a caring relationship and when the view is suggested that the relationship was something more sinister, it’s something he still struggles with.”

Foster admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child and three of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Sentencing, Judge Leslie Hull said: “There are features which make this case a classic case of sexual grooming.

“You knew your victim was vulnerable and the impact this has had has been catastrophic.”

June 2014

Stinson’s latest snare likely to face prison sentence

A NUNEATON man who took part in sexual internet chat with someone who claimed to be a 14-year-old girl has been warned he is ‘highly likely’ to be facing a prison sentence.

Parbinder Singh had pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity by trying to incite her to engage in penetrative sex.

But when the case was listed at the court for a second time, prosecutor Peter Grice applied to add a similar charge, but with different ‘details of offence,’ to the indictment.

Singh, aged 40 of Mount Street, Nuneaton, then pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity by taking part in internet and mobile phone communication of a sexual nature.

He entered his plea on the basis that he was going to take part in sexual online chat with ‘Jodie,’ but that he did not intend to take things further than that, and had no intention of trying to meet her.

In fact Jodie does not exist, and was created as part of Nuneaton’s self-styled paedophile catcher, Stinson Hunters’ trap set up to try to snare men trying to meet under-age girls.

In his basis of plea Singh also said he believed ‘Jodie’ was over 16, having ‘met’ her on an adults-only chat site.

Pointing out that ‘Jodie’ had said in their chat that she was 14, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano asked whether Singh had thought she was lying about that.

Graeme Simpson defending, explained: “It’s quite clear from the conversation in the papers that he was challenging her when she says she was 14.”

The judge observed: “She was saying she had lied about being 18 to get on the site. He accepts that any belief he had [about her age] was unreasonable.”

At Mr Simpson’s request, she adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, and told Singh he would be sentenced according to his basis of plea.

Judge de Bertodano granted him bail, but warned him: “This is a serious matter. Please don’t think I am giving you any indication that it won’t be a custodial sentence. That is a highly likely outcome for an offence of this type.”

June 2014

Mobile phone lost down toilet led to pair being jailed for sickening videos and sex assault on child

Two people have been jailed after images and videos of sexual abuse of a girl under 13 were discovered on a mobile phone.

Unemployed pair Sarah Summerfield, 30, of Langdale Drive, Hayes, and her partner, Adrian Eldridge, 38, of Hawthorne Crescent, West Drayton, were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, June 5.

Summerfield admitted three counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 after pleading guilty on Monday January 27. She was sentenced to six and a half years’ jail for each offence, to run concurrently.

Eldridge was convicted at the same court after denying six counts of commissioning a sexual offence.

He was sentenced to 10 years’ jail on each count, to run concurrently.

Eldridge was additionally declared a Dangerous Offender, and will have his licence extended for a further two years.

He too was made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, Eldridge for life, Summerfield until further notice, and both and will remain Registered Sex Offenders for life.

The pair were arrested after Summerfield dropped her mobile phone by accident into a toilet while visiting a friend in July last year.

The friend offered to get the phone fixed and Summerfield accepted.

When the device had dried out the friend managed to switch it on and discovered the images and movies of Summerfield sexually abusing a child.

The friend then contacted police. Officers from The Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested Summerfield and following analysis of her phone arrested Eldridge.

Summerfield and Eldridge had exchanged 3,000 text messages. In these Eldridge encouraged Summerfield to commit sexual assaults against the girl.

Detective Sergeant Tony Smith of the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “I hope that the sentences handed down today will reassure the public that the Met takes the investigation of child abuse and sexual offences very seriously and I would encourage anyone who suffered sexual abuse as a child or adult, regardless of how long ago that was, to come forward and speak to us.”

June 2014

Man jailed for sexually abusing three young children

A 60-year-old man has been jailed for five years for a catalogue of sexual offences against two young girls and a boy more than 40 years ago.

Norman Wanless, from Cumbernauld, was found guilty of rape, attempted rape and sodomy offences dating back to 1969 at addresses in the Glasgow area.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the girls were aged between five and 12 and the boy between six and 10.

Judge Lord Armstrong said Wanless had robbed his victims of their childhood.

The judge told Wanless: “Society has an abhorrence of such conduct and this court must reflect that.”

Lord Armstrong said he was taking into account Wanless’ age and lack of criminal record, but that a prison sentence was unavoidable.

Wanless will also remain on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

“You have been convicted of three charges which involved manipulative and predatory sexual abuse of two young girls and a young boy,” he said.

Statements made by the victims showed the abuse continued to affect their lives.

“You were responsible for callously robbing these children of their childhood,” said Lord Armstrong.

June 2014

Woman, 50, who set up the rape of under-age girl by landlord to pay off debts is jailed for eight years

A woman who set up the rape of a schoolgirl so she could pay off her debt has been jailed for eight years.

Muriel Coleman, of Stanley, Durham, organised meetings between the vulnerable youngster and Akhtar Hassan whose family owned the house she lived in after she fell just over £1,000 behind on her rent.

A judge said Coleman ‘seems to be more sorry for herself than for her victim’.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Hassan repeatedly raped the girl and subjected her to sickening sexual abuse over a three month period early last year.

During the attacks the married father-of-three told the girl to ‘shut up’ and said she must co-operate for his ‘pleasurement’.

The attacks were carried out while Hassan’s family and children were out of the country in Pakistan.

Hassan, 37, of Stanley, County Durham, who denied the charges against him but was found guilty after a trial by a jury, was jailed for 13 years.

Coleman, of Brandon, County Durham, had admitted what she did and gave evidence against Hassan during the case.

Judge Simon Hickey told Coleman: ‘You exploited her, facilitating these awful acts against her.

‘Why, is the obvious question.

‘The answer was provided in the trial – you were in debt.

‘You think only of yourself and not much for any other.’

The court heard Coleman fell behind in her rent payments despite receiving state handouts for housing.

The judge said: ‘I don’t know what it was squandered on.’

Judge Hickey said he entirely rejected Coleman’s claims that she did not know exactly what was going on while Hassan was alone with the girl.

Prosecutor Sarah Mallett told the court during the trial Hassan coaxed or forced the girl to perform different sex acts with him up to twice a week during the period of abuse.

She said: ‘Matters came to light when she told some friends what had been happening.’

Jurors heard during the trial how evidence against Akhtar included DNA from bedding.

Miss Mallett added: ‘Aktar was interviewed by police during which he denied he had had sex with the young woman.

‘He said his DNA was on the bedding because he had had sex with Coleman, at her invitation.

‘He told the police he was aware Coleman was short of money, because she had asked for a loan of a few hundred pounds.

‘Akhtar said he was happy to lend her the money, but was unable to give her it straight away.

‘He said Coleman was annoyed about that, which is why she was trying to “fit him up” with the rape of the younger woman.’

Jurors rejected Hassan’s claims and found him guilty of four charges of rape and one of attempted rape.

On top of the prison sentences, the pair must sign the sex offenders’ register and abide by the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for life.

After the pair were lead away to start their prison terms, Judge Hickey said the victim, who had to relive her ordeal from the witness box, was a ‘remarkable’ young woman.

The judge said: ‘I sincerely hope and trust she will go on, as far as she is able to, to put these assaults behind her.’

John Wilkinson, defending, said Hassan’s attitude remains the same as it did at the trial.

Jonathan Devlin, also defending, said: ‘She is perhaps one of the most hopelessly inadequate people to come before this court.’

Coleman pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to two offences of encouraging or assisting a sexual offence.

Akhtar denied four charges of rape and one of attempted rape, but was found guilty of all counts.

June 2014

Suspended sentence for man ‘with low IQ’ who sexually assaulted girl under 16

A man with a low IQ who sexually assaulted a girl under 16 in a flat in St Albans was given a suspended jail sentence.

Paul Lusty, 46, who knew the girl, collected her from school and took her to the flat of a friend called Ted, who had a conviction for a child sex offence.

Lusty knew about Ted’s 40-year-old offence and had previously talked to him about the girl’s figure and her breasts, St Albans crown court was told yesterday.

Prosecutor Andrew Howarth said they were laughing and joking in the flat before the girl said she had to leave at 5pm for a club.

At the door, Lusty grabbed her tights and pulled them down to her knees. He then took hold of her top, put his finger inside her bra and exposed her breasts saying: “Look.”

They left and the girl said nothing to her mother, but Ted was ‘troubled’ by what had happened. “He slept on it and telephoned the police the next day,” said Mr Howarth.

The girl was interviewed and said she thought Lusty had been “clowning around.”

Lusty, now of West Avenue, Chelmsford, was arrested. In police interviews he denied anything had happened but, on the day his trial was due to start, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the girl on 18 May last year. He had previous convictions for GBH and theft, but no sexual convictions.

Defence barrister Catherine Bradshaw said Lusty is unemployed and had not worked for a number of years. Previously he had been a labourer. He had a low IQ of 68 and a mild learning disability. She said it had been a “one off” incident.

Judge Marie Catterson passed a five month jail sentence suspended for two years. Lusty must carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work and attend ten sessions of Education and Training. He is banned from having contact with girls aged under 16 for seven years and will be on the Sex Offender Register, also for seven years.

June 2014

Community order for man who pleaded guilty to child sex offences

A 22-year-old “sexually confused” man has been given a 36-month community order after engaging in a sexual act with a teenage boy and holding indecent images of a child on his computer.

Nathan Knight, of Thackeray Road, Ravenscliffe, Bradford, pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent photograph of children and one of sexual activity with a child.

Knight and the boy, who was in care and aged 14 at the time of the offence, met through a group of friends in June 2012.

They were in contact on Facebook and met up in July 2012, when the one incident of sexual activity took place, Bradford Crown Court heard.

June 2014

Man jailed for indecent images of children

A man found to have nearly 1,300 indecent images of children on his computer and mobile phone has been jailed for a year.

Kevin McEvoy, of Tipton, downloaded the images from the internet using search engines and file-sharing sites.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told police had received information that a file containing images had been uploaded to a legitimate website in May last year.

Operators closed the site until the file was removed and passed information to officers, who traced it back to McEvoy.

The 48-year-old, of Waterfield Close, was arrested on May 29 and his computer and mobile phone were seized.

Mr Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said there had been 505 images at level one, 64 at level two, 292 at level three, 435 at level four and the two at level five, considered the most serious category.

He said the images were of youngsters aged between five and six up to around 13.

“McEvoy admitted using search engines to find indecent images along with file-sharing sites,” he said.

“While he did upload images no evidence could be found he had distributed them.”

Mr Phillips said there was no suggestion any of the children on the images were known to McEvoy or that he had created any of the images himself.

McEvoy was jailed for a year and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He was also placed under a Sex Offenders Prevention Order for the same period of time.

Mrs Alison Scott-Jones, defending, said her client had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.

“I am not trying to minimise what he has done but only two of the images fall into the most serious category,” she said.

“The majority are at levels three or four.”

Judge Amjad Nawaz told McEvoy: “These images were downloaded by you. It was no accident it was deliberate.

“I accept there was not an intention to distribute these images but that does not mean that what you have admitted to is not serious.

“This is matter is so serious only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”

June 2014

Man drilled a hole in bathroom ceiling to spy on girls for sexual kicks

A PERVERT who secretly filmed two teenage girls with a camera as they used his bathroom has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Jamie Mulvany, from Darlington, drilled a hole in the bathroom ceiling to spy on the teenagers for sexual kicks.

His crimes only came to a light when a memory card used to store the videos was later discovered – to the horror of the victims who had no idea they were being watched. By this stage Mulvany had moved out.

Father-of-six Mulvany, who admitted two offences of voyeurism between June 1, 2011, and June 30 last year, had gained access to the loft above the bathroom on the pretext he was boarding it out.

He left court covering his face after being given a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for two years, by Judge George Moorhouse.

One of Mulvany’s victims, who was in court, described him as “sick in the head” and said it was ridiculous he hadn’t been jailed.

She said: “He walked out there with a smirk on his face and he thinks he has got away with it.

“I was shocked because I trusted him.”

Meanwhile the former partner of Mulvany, who is now divorcing him, said she felt the court had not heard the full facts.

She said: “He is scum.

“There could be more videos out there for all we know. I could not believe what had been going on.”

Ian West, mitigating, said Mulvany, 34, of Whinfield Road, Darlington, had entered an early guilty plea and was also currently in full-time work.

He railed against a recommendation in a pre-sentence report which suggested Mulvany should be made subject to a sexual offences prevention order after being assessed as a medium risk of committing further sex offences.

The barrister said that while Mulvany’s offences were not a trivial matter, some of the terms of the suggested order were “ludicrous”.

He added: “This is a man of very few convictions. It is difficult to think of anybody who is less likely to re-offend.”

However Judge Moorhouse disagreed and gave him a five year-long sexual offences prevention order and said he would register as a sex offender for seven years.

Judge Moorhouse told Mulvany: “You took photos of them while they were taking a bath for your own gratification.

“This was a deep invasion of their privacy and both girls were horrified by what they later discovered had been going on.”

June 2014

Swimming pool child sex abuser jailed for ten years

A FARMWORKER who subjected a boy to “disgusting” sexual abuse has been jailed for ten years.

A York jury heard the boy’s mother trusted Richard David Gill, whom she knew, to look after her son on swimming trips when he was ten and 11, in the 1970s.

Instead, Gill sexually assaulted the child at Yearsley Swimming Pool in York and in a remote part of a farm. He had also displayed “deviant” sexual behaviour which the boy had witnessed and experienced.

The abuse ended when he was 11.

York Crown Court heard how 30 years later, the boy could still remember how painful some of the abuse had been, and how it had affected the rest of his life, including his relationship with his mother.

She only found out about the abuse after it had stopped, and was guilt stricken that she had failed to stop it.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, said it was not her fault and that Gill had grossly breached her trust.

He told Gill, now 67: “As a 28-year-old man, you began abusing a ten year old boy in a disgusting way over a long period of time.”

The abuse has had long-term consequences both for the boy and his mother.

Gill, of Long Street, Easingwold denied six charges of indecent assault and two more serious sexual offences, but was convicted at a trial at which the victim and his mother gave evidence.

Detective Constable Vincent Morris, said: “It took immense courage for the victim to come forward to the police after all these years and I would like to thank him for his bravery. Without his assistance, Gill would not have been brought to justice.

“I hope the sentence handed out today helps bring closure for the victim and allows him to move on with his life.

“It should also give other victims the confidence to come forward knowing that the criminal justice system will take them seriously and do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Gill’s barrister Peter Byrne said he had only abused one boy. and had not offended since He had had opportunities to abuse others but had not done so.

He was in poor health and a prison sentence would be more difficult for him than for a younger man.

June 2014

Sex abuse Leeds teacher jailed for historic offences

A predatory paedophile is back behind bars after being convicted of multiple rape and sex offences on a young boy while he was a teacher at a school in Yorkshire.

David Higgins, 74, groomed the youngster after transferring to the south Leeds primary school from the notorious Knowl View residential school in Rochdale.

Higgins was jailed for 14 years yesterday after being convicted of seven serious sex offences by a jury at Leeds Crown Court.

Higgins abused the youngster many times during school trips he organised for pupils in the early 1970s.

He also forced the boy to have sex with him after taking him to his then home in Roundhay, Leeds.

Higgins left the Leeds school after being convicted of indecently assaulting a different boy during a hiking trip. Higgins was handed a conditional discharge by magistrates for that offence and was able to continue having access to children

The cunning predator obtained a job as a youth worker until he was convicted of indecently assaulting two youngsters in Skipton in 1983. He received another non-custodial sentence for that offence.

Higgins was eventually jailed in 2002 after two former pupils at Knowl View plucked up the courage to tell police of sexual abuse ordeals 30 years earlier.

Both were between nine and 11 when they were assaulted at the council-run residential school. The former school is currently the subject of an independent inquiry over the way it was run.

Claims emerged this week that Rochdale Council “suppressed” a report more than 20 years ago which detailed wide-spread sex abuse and forced prostitution among boys at the school.

Higgins worked and lived at the school – whose ex-governors include the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith – and was regarded as a father figure to the boys who came from troubled backgrounds.

He gained their trust and invited them to his rooms before abusing them. One of the boys reported the abuse to the deputy head, but was slapped and told “don’t talk about teachers in that way”.

Both boys kept their ordeal secret until the launch of Operation Cleopatra – Greater Manchester Police’s biggest ever investigation into child abuse in residential homes which began in 1997.

Higgins was arrested in 2012 in relation to his latest convictions in Leeds after his victim finally felt he would be taken seriously.

He had originally made a complaint when he was a child, at the time of the offending, but the local police officer refused to take it seriously because of Higgins’s trusted position within the community.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC said: “It was, and still is, a respected position to be a school master. But you used that respected position to prey on young boys.

“You were, I am perfectly satisfied, in the early 1970s, an active and predatory paedophile who abused children who had the misfortune to be entrusted into your care.”

The judge added: “When he (the victim) did make a complaint, that unquestioning respect meant that the local policeman did not take it seriously – well I take it seriously.”

After the case, Det Insp Lawrence Bone, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Higgins was responsible for the systematic sexual abuse of a young boy over a prolonged period of time and he clearly represents a danger to children.

“We hope the victim will take some comfort from the fact Higgins has now had to face the consequences of his actions.”

ADMIN note: The teenage victim in the 2009 conviction for voyeurism was not under 16 years old. But we will still add this offender as we would deem his actions perverted, and thus a danger to young females

June 2014

Peeping Tom’s new state job beside céche

A CONVICTED sex offender who was caught filming a semi-naked teenager in a gym dressing room has landed a job as a ‘welfare officer’ in a government-funded centre for the unemployed.

Peeping Tom lawyer Richie MacRitchie advises the unemployed in the Larkin Centre – which has a crèche attached – in the north-inner city.

However, most of his clients are unaware that in 2009 MacRitchie was placed on the sex offenders register for two years after being convicted of ‘voyeurism’. 

The Belfast-based human rights lawyer was caught spying on a teenager in the changing rooms of Falls Road Leisure Centre in October 2006.

MacRitchie secretly recorded the bikini-clad teen by sneaking his mobile camera phone under her changing cubicle.

He was subsequently barred from working as a solicitor indefinitely and was given a four-month suspended prison sentence.

But now, MacRitchie has reinvented himself as a champion of the unemployed in Dublin.

He works as a welfare rights officer in the centre in Dublin’s North Strand and is a national executive committee member of the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU).

One local source said: “The Larkin Centre has a crèche on the bottom floor, so he is working next to kids. It’s just not right.”

When confronted by the Sunday World, MacRitchie refused to say if his presence in the Larkin Centre was appropriate.

“Is this about my conviction? Sorry, you would have to ask my boss what the view of the centre is. They know about it.”

In court in 2008, Judge Fiona Bagnall said: “I do consider this to be a serious offence which does not fall within the low-level range.”

June 2014

85-year-old found to have sexually abused young boys

An 85-year-old man has been found to have sexually abused young boys more than 30 years ago when he was in his 50s and one of his victims was just 10 or 11.

Ivan Carson of Letterbreen, Enniskillen, appeared at Dungannon Crown Court on 14 charges of indecently assaulting the children.

He initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, however the court subsequently decided the elderly pensioner was “under a disability” and therefore unfit to stand trial.

The jury was therefore told that its role was not to decide on whether Carson was guilty or innocent but whether or not he committed the sexual abuse described in the charges.

Carson faced 10 charges of indecently assaulting one of the boys between February 26, 1978, when the child was just 10 or 11, and February 28, 1983, when he was 14.

After hearing the evidence the jury found that Carson had sexually abused the boy in the way described in the charges.

Carson faced a further four charges of indecently assaulting a second boy between August 31, 1978, and July 7, 1981, when the child was between the ages of 12 and 14.

The jury found that the pensioner had sexually abused the boy as described in three of the charges but not in relation to the fourth charge.

The case has echoes of the McDermott brothers who sexually abused children in Donagh, near Lisnaskea, for 30 years. James and Owen Roe McDermott were deemed unfit to stand trial by reason of their mental disability however a jury found that they had committed the acts referred to in the charges. They were given Treatment and Supervision Orders.

The judge will decide what to do with Carson when the pensioner appears at Dungannon Crown Court on June 24.

In the meantime Carson has been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.