TORQUAY PAEDOPHILE GARY LOFTUS CAUGHT AT DEVON PLAYPARK FACING JAIL TIME
In August 2021, Gary Loftus, a known sex offender from Torquay, was once again at the center of a serious legal case involving breaches of court orders and inappropriate behavior around children in Devon.Loftus, who has a long and troubling history of child abuse spanning over 35 years, was found to have violated a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that specifically prohibited him from entering play areas and from forming relationships with families containing young children.
His latest misconduct was reported after he was observed loitering at a seafront play park on the Esplanade in Paignton.
Witnesses saw Loftus walking around the perimeter of the park for approximately an hour, during which he was seen touching himself in a sexual manner.
This behavior raised immediate alarm among those present, prompting them to alert the police.
Loftus’s troubling pattern of behavior extends beyond this incident.
Prior to this, he had visited Exmouth seafront with a family that had young children, and later went to their home in Taunton, where he bought sweets for their six-year-old daughter.
These actions, combined with his previous convictions, underscored the danger he posed to the community.
At the time of these incidents, Loftus was out of prison for less than a year after serving time for similar offenses in Teignmouth.
His repeated breaches of the SHPO, including the latest in December 2019, demonstrated a blatant disregard for court orders designed to protect children from harm.
In court, Loftus, aged 67 and residing on Wellesley Road in Torquay, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Judge Timothy Rose sentenced him to 16 months in prison at Exeter Crown Court.
The judge emphasized the high risk Loftus posed, stating, “It is the assessment of the probation service that you pose a high risk of causing serious harm to children.” Judge Rose further remarked on Loftus’s awareness of his dangerous behavior, noting, “When you cultivated friendship with families with young children, you knew who you were and what you should and should not be doing.
When you went to the play area, you put yourself in that position.
You have done it before and were doing it again.” The judge highlighted the disturbing possibility of grooming, suggesting that Loftus derived gratification from the presence of children, even if he did not act on these impulses.
He added, “Imagine the reaction of the mother on hearing that the man who was hanging around her six-year-old is actually a sex offender with multiple convictions.
The parents of children in the play area would be appalled to know that a sex offender had stopped awhile to look at their children, because that is what he wanted to do.
You know what you have done and here you are doing it all over again.” Prosecutor Ian Graham detailed Loftus’s manipulative behavior, recounting how he befriended a family in December 2019, visited an arcade in Exmouth with them, and later went to their home in June 2020, where he bought sweets for their young daughter.
His arrest came in September 2020 after he was seen walking around a play area at Paignton seafront, which was filled with children.
During police interviews, Loftus admitted that he gained sexual gratification from watching children.
Loftus’s criminal record is extensive, including 19 previous offenses.
His convictions include indecent assault in 1989, gross indecency in 1993, and breaching a court order to stay away from a child in 2002.
He has also served jail time for violating a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in 2009, which was later updated to a SHPO.
His history reveals a pattern of repeated offending, despite court-imposed restrictions.
In July 2021, Loftus was again facing potential imprisonment after being observed watching children at a Devon play park, despite the restrictions placed upon him.
A judge at Exeter Crown Court ordered a fact-finding hearing to determine whether Loftus was merely passing by or actively leering at children, as witnesses claimed he was touching himself sexually for up to an hour behind a wall near the play area.
Judge Timothy Rose indicated that the evidence suggested Loftus was engaging in inappropriate behavior, and warned that a prison sentence was almost certain when the case returned to court.
Loftus, who resides on Wellesley Road in Torquay, admitted to two counts of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
His repeated violations and the nature of his conduct underscore the ongoing threat he poses to the safety of children in Devon, prompting authorities to take stringent legal action to prevent further harm.
