BRISTOL BABYSITTER BRIAN GIBBINS SENTENCED FOR ABUSING THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In June 2014, Bristol Crown Court sentenced babysitter Brian Gibbins to prison for abusing a three-year-old girl under his care. Gibbins, 67, of Clover Ground, Westbury-on-Trym, had previously signed a behavior agreement that prohibited him from being left alone with the child, after having committed prior sex offences. Despite this, he sexually assaulted the girl and took an indecent photograph of her sitting on a potty, the court was told.

The court learned that the victim was left psychologically affected and became more isolated following the incidents. Gibbins pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault of a girl under 13 and taking an indecent photo of a child. Judge Michael Longman sentenced him to three years and eight months in prison, stating, "You should never have allowed yourself to be in that position at all. When alone with her, you acted contrary to anyone's natural instincts, but displayed your own unnatural instincts by touching her intimately and sexually and taking an indecent photograph."

Furthermore, Gibbins was awarded an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) to prevent him from contacting children and was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Prosecutor Kenneth Bell explained that Gibbins and his wife cared for the girl after signing an agreement that Gibbins was not to be left unattended with her. The court heard that when the child's mother cleaned her, the girl became withdrawn. The girl later disclosed to police that Gibbins had touched her private parts and described soreness in that area.

A female doctor noted that the child's refusal to allow an intimate examination was unusual and indicative of something unpleasant having occurred.

Initially, Gibbins denied any wrongdoing but later told police that a photograph on his phone would show the girl "running away from her potty," claiming he was testing his phone and that photograph was among the first he took. The court was informed that the photo was indeed of her sitting on her potty, and other pictures on the device were not indecent.

Gibbins had a history of sex offences dating back to 1961 involving a girl, offences against males in 1972, and offences in 1980 related to his involvement with a boys’ football team.

Defence solicitor Catherine Spedding stated that Gibbins was "horrified with himself for his behaviour."

Following the sentencing, the victim’s mother expressed her dissatisfaction, telling the Bristol Post that she believed the sentence was "too lenient," adding, "I would get more if I went out and burgled a house. This has left my daughter upset. She can’t sleep at night. There was no remorse on his face at all."