May 2012 Repeat paedophile given three-year jail sentence A CONVICTED paedophile from Bridlington has been jailed for three years after telling his 12-year-old victim: “You won’t tell anyone, because I will kill you if you do.” Repeat sex offender Gareth Renkel-Edwards, 22, told a psychologist he liked young children and deliberately walked around the children’s play area where he lived because he knew he could get into trouble. His victim told police he was tied to a chair and Renkel-Edwards told detectives: “I admit I am turned on by being able to exercise control,” Hull Crown Court heard last Friday. He abused a 12-year-old boy – his second victim – on 25 occasions over nine months. His first was just five-years-old. Renkel-Edwards, formerly of Lansdowne Road, Bridlington, was 17 to 18 years old at the time. Crown barrister Nicholas Barker said the older victim was approached on one occasion in a bedroom and Renkel-Edwards was asked to leave, but he would not. He said Renkel-Edwards used a degree of physical force. “He was taken by the throat and also kicked.” A sex act took place. “On another occasion he tied him to a chair,” said Mr Baker. “Again a sex act was performed on him.” The victim told police he now suffered psychological problems and had taken to alcohol to block out memories. Renkel-Edwards pleaded guilty to nine charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of failing to comply with national sex offender registration requirements. The court heard he was sent to a young offenders’ institute for 16 months for four sexual offences against a boy of five in August 2008. It was reduced to a community punishment by the Court of Appeal after he had served two and a half months. Renkel-Edwards had kept quiet about his offending on the other boy during his appeal. Defence barrister Bernard Gateshill said: “He has been candid and says he had in the past, and still has, from time-to-time a sexual interest in children. “That is an interest that has not been acted on for four years. Where he lives now is not far from a children’s play area. “He always stays clear of the area. “He knows he must contain his thoughts and feelings and not become involved in any similar sexual conduct again.” He said he denied physical force but admitted psychological coercion of his victim. “He will lose his home and life he has built up if he is sent to prison,” said Mr Gateshill. “His family members have turned against him. “His mother would like to be able to stay in touch, but is unable to do so because if her intentions came to the attention of other members of her family they would alienate her too.” Jailing him for a total of three years Judge Jeremy Baker, QC, said: “I am satisfied there is a serious risk to you committing serious sexual offences in the future.” He imposed a new Sex Offenders’ Prevention Order seeking to ban him from unsupervised contact with children under 16, working with children and requiring him to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.