ARTHUR PUFFETT CONVICTED OF OFFENCES INVOLVING GIRLS IN TORQUAY

In September 2017, Arthur Puffett, a 76-year-old internationally known expert on Wedgwood Pottery, was sentenced for breaching a court order and engaging in inappropriate contact with young girls in Torquay. Puffett, who resides on St Efrides Road, was convicted in 2010 for kissing a child and voyeurism, and as part of his sentence, was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and registration requirements.

Despite these restrictions, Puffett took four girls under the age of 10 on outings and photographed them on the big wheel at Torquay Harbour, located on the English Riviera. He had been warned by Exeter Crown Court to be 'very careful' to avoid jail in the future, yet he continued to breach the court's orders.

Puffett pleaded guilty to 12 counts of violating the terms of his SOPO and sex offender registration, including five counts of having contact with girls under 16 from two families between 2011 and 2014. Seven additional counts involved him being at the same address as the children without providing full disclosure of his offending to parents or authorities.

Judge Graham Cottle addressed Puffett, stating: “You were convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism in 2010 and this stems from that conviction. You were not to associate with children under 16 and you were to notify police of any change of address. And what happens is that you associated with children under that age. There is no suggestion your behavior was inappropriate or that you committed new sexual offenses, but I take the view that this case is of sufficient seriousness to justify a prison sentence. However, I am prepared to suspend the 12-month sentence for two years.”

The judge also warned Puffett to be ‘very careful’ in future; if he breaches the order again, he is very likely to face immediate imprisonment.

In addition to these breaches, it emerged that Puffett, a recognized author and researcher on the history of Wedgwood pottery and its manufacturing at Stoke-on-Trent, had denied two further allegations of taking photographs of two of the girls involved. Prosecutors indicated these images were not considered indecent, and charges related to them are unlikely to proceed.

Previously, in August 2017, Puffett admitted to violating his sex offender restrictions by having contact with four underage girls. This admission occurred during a hearing at Exeter Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts related to his breach of the SOPO and sex offender registry. The order was originally imposed in 2009 following his conviction for sexual assault on a girl.

Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, adjourned the case to allow the prosecution to confirm whether charges relating to the photographs would be pursued further and to prepare a probation report. Throughout these proceedings, Puffett’s reputation as a ceramics expert and author on Wedgwood’s history remained a notable aspect of his profile.