April 2017 Harlow paedophile jailed A Harlow man who sexually abused a six-year-old girl has been sentenced at Harrow Crown Court to 12 years. David Carter, 58, from Heathcote Gardens, inappropriately touched the first of two victims, aged 14 or 15, between the late 80s and early 90s and sexually assaulted a six-year-old between November 1997 and January 1998. On one occasion, Carter used the six-year-old’s hand to masturbate him and in another offence he penetrated her with his finger, which caused the girl physical pain. He would hide sweets in his pants and encourage the girl to find them and with his teenage victim he would “play horse” to touch her breasts and vagina under her clothes, the court heard. His first victim, in a statement given from the witness box in front of a packed public gallery, revealed she has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since the incidents. Explaining the impact of the offences on her, she said: “Where do I start? I don’t know because my life has been one big mess. “I feel this was my shame to carry, I have suffered anxiety. I have tried to commit suicide. I remember numerous occasions when I went to sleep and did not want to wake up. “I have been affected greatly, I had little confidence and self-esteem issues. I would clean my house top to bottom over and over again because I felt so dirty. “I will never get my childhood back but I hope that I will have a better future until the day I die.” She then looked briefly towards Carter in the dock and said: “The one question I can’t seem to get an answer for is; what did I do to make him do this to me?” Prosecutor Edward Franklin read out a message from the second victim, who was not present in the court. He said: “The images of what happened to me have been like a film you can’t turn off. I am 25 now and I find this still happens at work and at home. “There are no happy childhood memories. I just have to learn to live life like this and hope it gets better.” The judge, Freya Newbery, condemned Carter’s “toxic” affect that “reverberated” through his victims’ lives and families. She said: “You groomed her [the second victim] to accept you touching her and more.” Carter was jailed for nine years for the assault of a child under the age of 13 and causing a child under the age of 13 to be engaged in sexual activity. This sentence will run concurrently to four years for the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. He was also jailed for three years for two counts of indecent assault, which will run consecutively to the previous sentences, making a total sentence of 12 years. Carter must serve half the sentence before he can go before a parole board. He was also banned from working with children. April 2017 Harlow man found guilty of indecency towards child under 14 A Harlow man has been found guilty of gross indecency towards a child under 14 and seven other offences. David Carter, of Heathcote Gardens, in the Church Langley part of the town, appeared before Harrow Crown Court on Monday, March 20. In addition to the gross indecency, a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecent assault on a female. He will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Tuesday, April 18.