July 2009
Pervert’s jail term cut to three years
A SICK pervert who showed porn to six young children has had his jail term cut on appeal.
One of 48-year-old Keith Mawson’s victims was just nine years-old when he targeted her, and the oldest was just 14, London’s Appeal Court heard.
Mawson, of Badger Road, Woodhouse, Sheffield, admitted nine counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and 12 of causing a child to watch a sexual act at Sheffield Crown Court.
He was jailed for four years in February this year.
But that sentence was today slashed to three years by Mr Justice Jack, sitting with Lord Justice Richards and Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC, at the Court of Appeal.
Ruling the original term “manifestly excessive”, the judge said Mawson suffered low self-esteem following the death of his mother, whom he had lived with, in 2006.
“He had always lived at home and had given up employment in 1993 to look after his father who had cancer,” the judge added.
Mawson had also had problems at school and had very few friends, but was “adamant he had no sexual interest in children” and had not actually touched any of his victims in an inappropriate way.
However, underlining the seriousness of the case, Mr Justice Jack said: “Mawson certainly did create the circumstances in which the offences took place and he deliberately watched the videos when the children were there and committed sex acts in front of them.
“He is no doubt an unhappy and lonely man, but this is the gratification which he chose.”
But the judge concluded the seriousness of the offending did not justify a four years sentence after a guilty plea.
“The appropriate sentence is one of three years.” he said.
