CRAIG KEANE FROM WICKFORD SHOCKS CHELMSFORD WITH SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDAL
| Red Rose Database
Wickford Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Chelmsford and Wickford, Craig Keane, a former teacher and volunteer special constable, has been convicted of heinous sexual offenses involving a young boy. The incident, which took place in October of the previous year, was captured on a hidden camera set up by the victim, who was under the age of eight at the time.
Keane, aged 28 and residing on Grange Road in Wickford, was seen on footage repeatedly entering the boy’s bedroom over a span of approximately 90 minutes. During these visits, he engaged in inappropriate touching while the child was asleep. The footage was recorded by the boy himself, who had become suspicious of Keane’s behavior after the initial incident. The young victim, who expressed feelings of fear and unease, told the camera that Keane’s actions made him feel unsafe in his own home, revealing a sense of betrayal and trauma.
According to court proceedings at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Keane had been socializing with the boy’s family on the evening of October 2 last year. After the child was put to bed, Keane repeatedly excused himself under the pretext of going to the bathroom. However, he used these opportunities to enter the boy’s bedroom, where he checked to ensure the other children in the room were asleep before engaging in sexual acts. The court heard that Keane was observed pleasuring himself as he touched the sleeping boy, an act that was both calculated and predatory.
The young boy, who had set up the camera, described the events in a message recorded on his phone: “I might be a bit dramatic, but what Craig did was check to see if I was awake, he looked at me, turned around, and then pulled his trousers down. I’ve found a good place to set it up, and I’m going to bed, I’m going to keep it on like this. For now, bye.” The following morning, the boy was horrified to discover that the footage had captured Keane’s repeated assaults. He then confided in his parents, who promptly reported the matter to the police.
Prosecutor Nicholas Wayne outlined the extent of Keane’s misconduct, stating that he entered the boy’s bedroom on 14 separate occasions and touched him nine times. The court was told that Keane had been drinking and socializing with the family during the evening, with the father unaware of Keane’s sinister intentions. Keane claimed he could not remember the events of that night, citing heavy alcohol consumption as a factor.
Judge Murray Shanks delivered the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of Keane’s breach of trust. He stated, “It is right to say this was a gross breach of trust. You were in their home, socialising with the father, and you took advantage of that position to sexually assault his young son. At around midnight, one boy was watching a video on his phone under his covers and saw you enter the room. He pretended to be asleep. He saw you check whether he was awake, and saw you go over to the other boy and take down his pyjamas and stare for some time at his bottom. He was concerned and troubled by it and took the step of setting up his phone on the window-sill of the bedroom.”
Following his arrest, Keane was suspended from his teaching role at Sandon School in Chelmsford, a position he held until 2013, and from his duties as a special constable with the Metropolitan Police’s predatory offences unit. It was during his time with the police that he observed the grading process of indecent images of children for eight days. The school confirmed that the incident did not involve any of their pupils, and they issued a statement to parents assuring them of the situation’s seriousness.
Keane’s defense lawyer, Heather Oliver, argued that her client was not sexually attracted to young boys and had previously been an exemplary teacher. She expressed her regret that his career and reputation had been destroyed by these allegations. Keane, who is from Wickford, was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting nine counts of sexual assault on a child under 13. He will also be on the sex offenders register for ten years. As he was led away to begin his sentence, he muttered a few words to his family, reflecting the gravity of the situation.
Keane, aged 28 and residing on Grange Road in Wickford, was seen on footage repeatedly entering the boy’s bedroom over a span of approximately 90 minutes. During these visits, he engaged in inappropriate touching while the child was asleep. The footage was recorded by the boy himself, who had become suspicious of Keane’s behavior after the initial incident. The young victim, who expressed feelings of fear and unease, told the camera that Keane’s actions made him feel unsafe in his own home, revealing a sense of betrayal and trauma.
According to court proceedings at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Keane had been socializing with the boy’s family on the evening of October 2 last year. After the child was put to bed, Keane repeatedly excused himself under the pretext of going to the bathroom. However, he used these opportunities to enter the boy’s bedroom, where he checked to ensure the other children in the room were asleep before engaging in sexual acts. The court heard that Keane was observed pleasuring himself as he touched the sleeping boy, an act that was both calculated and predatory.
The young boy, who had set up the camera, described the events in a message recorded on his phone: “I might be a bit dramatic, but what Craig did was check to see if I was awake, he looked at me, turned around, and then pulled his trousers down. I’ve found a good place to set it up, and I’m going to bed, I’m going to keep it on like this. For now, bye.” The following morning, the boy was horrified to discover that the footage had captured Keane’s repeated assaults. He then confided in his parents, who promptly reported the matter to the police.
Prosecutor Nicholas Wayne outlined the extent of Keane’s misconduct, stating that he entered the boy’s bedroom on 14 separate occasions and touched him nine times. The court was told that Keane had been drinking and socializing with the family during the evening, with the father unaware of Keane’s sinister intentions. Keane claimed he could not remember the events of that night, citing heavy alcohol consumption as a factor.
Judge Murray Shanks delivered the sentence, emphasizing the gravity of Keane’s breach of trust. He stated, “It is right to say this was a gross breach of trust. You were in their home, socialising with the father, and you took advantage of that position to sexually assault his young son. At around midnight, one boy was watching a video on his phone under his covers and saw you enter the room. He pretended to be asleep. He saw you check whether he was awake, and saw you go over to the other boy and take down his pyjamas and stare for some time at his bottom. He was concerned and troubled by it and took the step of setting up his phone on the window-sill of the bedroom.”
Following his arrest, Keane was suspended from his teaching role at Sandon School in Chelmsford, a position he held until 2013, and from his duties as a special constable with the Metropolitan Police’s predatory offences unit. It was during his time with the police that he observed the grading process of indecent images of children for eight days. The school confirmed that the incident did not involve any of their pupils, and they issued a statement to parents assuring them of the situation’s seriousness.
Keane’s defense lawyer, Heather Oliver, argued that her client was not sexually attracted to young boys and had previously been an exemplary teacher. She expressed her regret that his career and reputation had been destroyed by these allegations. Keane, who is from Wickford, was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting nine counts of sexual assault on a child under 13. He will also be on the sex offenders register for ten years. As he was led away to begin his sentence, he muttered a few words to his family, reflecting the gravity of the situation.