December 2006 Caretaker jailed for school abuse A former school caretaker from Devon has been jailed for nine years for sexually assaulting a girl. Barry Wright, 70, from Torrington, was convicted of one charge of attempted rape, six charges of indecent assault and two charges of assault on a child. Exeter Crown Court heard how he abused one of the victims in the school gym and in his bedroom. He had pleaded not guilty, claiming the girls had lied. The judge said no child was safe in his company. ‘Perverted character’ By denying the charges, Judge Miranda Robertshaw said he had forced his victims to “relive their abuse by having to give evidence”. She said Wright’s offences “took away their innocence” and that “no child is safe in your company”. “Your offending occurred against a backdrop of grooming by gifts, money and shopping trips,” said Judge Robertshaw. Behind Wright’s appearance as a friendly, loving, kindly and generous person “lurks your more deviant and grossly perverted character”, she said. She ordered him to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, and made eight orders, to run for at least 20 years, governing his future contact with children and young people under the age of 17.