BARRY READ SHOCKS SWINDON WITH CHILD SEX ABUSE REVELATIONS
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the town of Swindon, a man named Barry Read has been found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl when she was just five and six years old.The allegations came to light after a series of troubling discoveries and a lengthy trial at Swindon Crown Court.
Read, a 63-year-old resident of Brem Hill Close, Penhill, was initially implicated when authorities uncovered a disturbing piece of evidence involving a camera he had sold to a relative.
Upon examination, the device contained explicit footage of the young girl, which raised immediate concerns about his conduct.
The girl, now a teenager, later revealed that her family had kept her away from Read for years, and she disclosed that he had abused her during the times he babysat her.
Prosecutor Hannah Squire detailed the allegations to a jury composed of five women and seven men.
She explained that between 2004 and 2006, Read and his wife were responsible for looking after the girl.
During her stay at their home, she would often go into a converted loft space that served as a small office, equipped with a computer.
While playing age-appropriate games on the computer, the girl recounted that Read would sit her on his knee and engage in inappropriate physical contact, rubbing his hands up and down her legs.
The court heard that he would then touch her inappropriately and, on one occasion, he displayed pornography on the computer.
Further disturbing evidence revealed that Read watched the images on the computer while performing a sex act on himself, with the young girl present in the room.
The jury was told that he also repeatedly touched her inappropriately when downstairs in the house, often when his wife was not present.
The abuse ceased when the girl was six, but she was unaware at the time of the full extent of what had happened.
The case took a darker turn when it was discovered that Read had sold a camcorder to a relative.
When the relative used the device, they found a cassette inside that contained not only pornography but also a short film focusing on the young girl’s crotch area.
Recognizing her from the footage, the relative contacted her family immediately, leading to the cessation of Read and his wife’s care of the girl.
Although police questioned Read about the footage, he initially denied any wrongdoing and explained that he could not recall filming it, claiming he had no sexual interest in children.
The prosecution highlighted that it was only in 2014 that the girl was told about the video, which did not prompt her to complain at the time.
It was not until June 2015 that she summoned the courage to disclose the abuse she had suffered years earlier.
During the trial, Read denied four counts of sexual assault and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Despite his denials, the court found him guilty.
Judge Sir John Royce ordered that Read be remanded in custody and scheduled the case to be adjourned until November 25 at Bristol Crown Court, where he will pass sentence.
The case has left the community of Swindon grappling with the gravity of the crimes committed and the betrayal of trust by someone they believed was responsible for caring for a vulnerable child.
