ANTHONY YOUNG, DANGEROUS PAEDOPHILE, JAILED IN PLYMOUTH
A 71-year-old nudist pensioner named Anthony Young has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a young girl, an incident which led her to self-harm and suffer panic attacks.The court was told that Young used his interest in naturism as a façade for his paedophilia.
In a statement read during court proceedings, the victim, now an adult, described her trauma: "I was an innocent child and he used me for his own gratification, and I hate him for what he has done to me.
I have daily flashbacks and I am afraid that these will never stop." She also revealed she had previously self-harmed and was on medication for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Young, who admitted to sexually assaulting the girl between October 2010 and December 2013, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
Judge Peter Johnson stated, "You not only marred but you ruined that young girl's childhood and adolescence, leaving her with long-term problems.
You do not accept what you have done.
You certainly do not accept the harm which you have caused." The judge further commented that Young's guilty plea was not genuine remorse, saying, "You pleaded guilty just to get it over with," and that Young concealed his naturist interests from his wife as a cover for his paedophilic tendencies.
The court declared Young a dangerous offender, indicating he must serve two-thirds of his sentence, totaling just over three and a half years, with an extended license period of four years.
His overall sentence amounts to nine years and four months.
Young also confessed to sexual activity involving the girl over a period stretching from October 2010 to January 2014, along with three counts of making indecent images of a child, including nine in the most severe category depicting abuse.
All victim identities are protected by law.
Prosecutor Mary McCarthy explained that Young was acquitted of a serious sexual offence against another child in 2009, and police had been informed about the second girl's abuse in January 2014.
Although Young denied the allegations at the time, no prosecution ensued then.
McCarthy added that Young had previously made sexual remarks and engaged in inappropriate touching with the second girl before the most serious incident.
The court heard that Young had been grooming his victim.
In May 2020, Young was arrested on suspicion of sexually communicating with an eight-year-old girl, but that case was not prosecuted.
Instead, authorities found older indecent images on his phone, prompting a renewed investigation.
The victim of the abuse described her experience: "When he started abusing me I was too young to understand that it was wrong.
From such a young age I was afraid," and described suffering panic attacks with tears, difficulty breathing, and chest pains.
Representing Young, solicitor Michael Green stated that his client was willing to participate in sex offender treatment both in prison and after release.
The defense also pointed to delays in bringing the case.
As part of his sentence, Young was also placed on the Sex Offender Register for life and issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his contact with minors and enabling police to monitor his internet activity.
