ANTHONY CROSS, EXETER PAEDOPHILE, TARGETS SCHOOLGIRL IN DEVASTATING CRIME

In December 2011, a disturbing case of child abuse came to light involving Anthony Cross, a 64-year-old man from Exeter, who systematically groomed and sexually assaulted a ten-year-old girl. Cross’s manipulative tactics began with him establishing a false sense of trust within the girl’s family, as he befriended her parents and presented himself as a reliable family friend.

His relationship with the family grew closer over time, to the point where the parents, believing him to be trustworthy, asked Cross to assist them by taking their daughter to school. This seemingly innocent act provided Cross with the perfect opportunity to carry out his sinister plans. Under the guise of helping the family, he took the young girl back to his flat in Exeter, where he subjected her to a harrowing 15-minute ordeal of sexual assault.

During the assault, the girl was able to see her parents through the window of Cross’s flat, but the distance was too great for her to call for help or alert anyone to her distress. The Exeter Crown Court heard that Cross threatened the girl with harm if she ever disclosed what had happened, instilling a deep sense of fear and silence in her. It was only after six long years that she confided in a friend about the abuse, revealing the trauma she had endured.

Anthony Cross’s criminal history was extensive and troubling. Unemployed at the time, he had concealed from the family that he had prior convictions for assaults on boys and girls as young as five, dating back to 1965 when he was just 18 years old. His pattern of abuse spanned decades, with more than a dozen children falling victim to his predatory behavior. Cross was currently serving a 30-month sentence for assaults on young boys aged five and six, which he committed despite being under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

In court, Cross admitted to sexually assaulting the ten-year-old girl in March 2005. Judge Graham Cottle sentenced him to three years in prison and imposed an extended four-year licence period to monitor his behavior after release. The judge expressed grave concern over Cross’s actions, stating, “You targeted the family and gained their trust to the extent you were taking their children to school. This little girl was one of the children and you gained her trust and groomed her, preparing her for the sexual activity you wished to carry out.”

He further condemned Cross’s conduct, noting that he lured the girl to his flat, ignored her protests, and threatened her with harm if she revealed the abuse. “You have been behaving in this sort of way for far too long and you represent a danger to young children, of that there can be no doubt,” the judge emphasized. The pre-sentence report indicated that Cross’s pattern of predatory behavior was not isolated, raising serious concerns about his ongoing risk to children. The court’s verdict underscored the gravity of his crimes and the threat he posed to the safety of vulnerable young victims in Exeter and beyond.