February 2014 Child sex abuse councillor jailed DISGRACED former Isle of Wight and Newport parish councillor, David Whittaker, has been jailed for six years. Whittaker, 73, of Redstart Close, Newport, was last week found guilty of two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexualactivity, sexual activity with a child, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children. He was also found guilty of sexual assault on a child and causing a child under the age of 16 to watch a sexual act. He resigned from Newport Parish Council hours after last Friday’s verdict, which followed a retrial, after a jury failed to reach a verdict in December. The father of two of Whittaker’s victims told the Isle of Wight County Press the offences and the trauma of a retrial meant their family life would never be normal again. Sentencing Whittaker, Judge Richard Price, said: “You stole their innocence and took away their childhood.” February 2014 A FORMER Isle of Wight councillor and serving Newport parish councillor has been found guilty of sex offences against children following a retrial at the Isle of Wight Crown Court. David Rex Whittaker, 73, of Redstart Close, Newport, was found guilty of two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children. He was also found guilty of sexual assault on a child and causing a child under the age of 16 to watch a sexual act. Whittaker had denied all the charges. He is due to be sentenced next week. The retrial took place this week, after a jury failed to come to a verdict in December.