SERIAL OXFORDSHIRE PAEDOPHILE JAILED FOR LIFE DIES
An offender from Oxfordshire, who was given a life sentence after recording himself committing sexual acts on children as young as three, passed away from cancer while incarcerated, according to the prison's ombudsman.Anthony Barron, who previously resided in Grove, was sentenced in 2007 after admitting to 87 charges of child sexual abuse, including attempted rape, sexual assault, and producing indecent images.
At that time, his case was considered the worst of its kind in Oxfordshire.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman reported that Barron died on July 18 at the age of 72 at HMP Ashfield near Bristol.
The official report confirmed his death was due to cancer, and an inquest attributed it to natural causes.
During his sentencing, Judge Julian Hall described Barron as a "plausible, predatory paedophile," and remarked that his crimes were "quite chilling," adding, "This is as serious a series of offences as I think I've ever come across." It was revealed in court that Barron had targeted 11 girls between the ages of three and 12 over a period of nine years starting in 1997.
Prosecutor Amjad Malik stated that Barron, a respected community member with links to local primary schools and Scout groups, had befriended parents and convinced them to leave their children at his home.
He groomed his victims and filmed himself abusing them, using sweets and toys as bribes.
Suspicion arose when one of the girls mentioned Barron to her mother, leading to police raids that uncovered 52 computers containing video recordings.
Barron’s defense lawyer, Andrew Bright, called the case "truly shocking" and a significant shame, although he pointed out that Barron did not use threats or violence.
Judge Hall sentenced Barron to lifelong supervision, highlighting the breach of trust and the seriousness of his crimes.
