WATFORD MAN BARRY MCCLOUD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IN INDIA

In a case that has shocked the community and highlighted the disturbing reach of child abuse beyond national borders, Barry McCloud, a 54-year-old resident of Watford, has been sentenced to serve a significant prison term for his heinous crimes committed against a young girl in India.

Between 2005 and 2007, McCloud repeatedly traveled to Goa, where he engaged in the sexual exploitation of a nine-year-old girl from a poverty-stricken family. The court heard that during these visits, he subjected her to a series of depraved sexual assaults, often involving the use of sedatives to render her unconscious. McCloud’s actions were not impulsive but carefully planned, as evidenced by the evidence presented during the trial.

According to the proceedings at St Albans Crown Court, McCloud would drug the girl heavily, then force her to undress and dance for him. While she was under the influence of sedatives, he would carry out repeated sexual assaults. The court was shown video recordings and photographs taken by McCloud himself, which he used to document his crimes. These recordings, along with digital images, were recovered by police during a raid on his Watford home in September 2007. The police raid uncovered a disturbing collection of 91 indecent images involving children, including 61 images depicting his abuse of the girl in India, as well as footage captured on his camcorder.

Investigations revealed that McCloud’s relationship with the girl’s family had begun years earlier. During a holiday to Goa in 1998, he and his then-wife had befriended the family and even sponsored the girl’s brother to help pay for his education. The family’s trust was exploited, as McCloud and his ex-wife made annual visits to India to see them. However, after their marriage ended in 2002, McCloud returned alone to India, where he continued his abusive behavior.

Evidence presented in court detailed how McCloud would bring gifts for the family and request that the young girl be driven to his holiday apartment, where she would stay overnight alone with him. The court heard that his actions were premeditated, involving careful planning and the use of drugs to sedate the girl. Judge Marie Catterson described his conduct as a gross abuse of trust and an abuse of power, emphasizing the calculated nature of his crimes.

During the sentencing, Judge Catterson pointed out that McCloud’s actions were particularly heinous because he targeted a vulnerable child in a poor region, exploiting her family’s reliance on him for their son’s education. She noted that while there was no evidence of the footage being distributed internationally, the very existence of such material posed a serious concern.

McCloud’s arrest was triggered by investigations into child pornography sites, which led to the discovery of his subscription to one such site using his credit card. The police seized his computer during the raid, revealing a disturbing collection of images and videos. The evidence included 61 images of his abuse in India, along with the footage from his camcorder.

Over a period of more than two years, extensive investigations conducted by Hertfordshire Constabulary, in collaboration with organizations in both the UK and India, culminated in his conviction. This case marked the first time in Hertfordshire that an individual was tried for sexual offenses committed abroad.

Initially, McCloud denied any involvement with the images or footage. When confronted with the video footage showing a man raping the sedated girl, he claimed it was part of a blackmail scheme orchestrated by an Indian police officer. However, expert analysis confirmed his identity in the videos, leading him to plead guilty to 20 counts of abusing the nine-year-old girl.

Judge Catterson described McCloud as a significant danger to children, noting his ability to conceal his behavior and present himself as a respectable individual. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 18 years, which was reduced to 14 years due to his guilty plea. The court ordered that he serve at least seven years before being eligible for parole. Additionally, McCloud will be subject to lifelong monitoring and restrictions, including a ban on leaving the country without permission from his supervising officer.