CONVICTED PERVERTER GEOFFREY STRIKE SPURRED CONTROVERSY IN SALFORD CHILDREN'S CHARITY

In December 2004, a convicted paedophile named Geoffrey Strike, aged 59, was involved in a disturbing incident at Charles House, a secure unit in Salford, Greater Manchester. Strike, who has a long history of sexual offenses against minors, donated £150 monthly for nine months to the global charity World Vision, which aims to combat child poverty and abuse. Unbeknownst to the charity, he secretly received images and stickers of children as part of his sponsorship benefits. These images were used to decorate the walls of his rehabilitation unit.

It is alleged that staff members at Charles House were aware of Strike’s sponsorship but failed to take appropriate action. Letters from World Vision to Strike, which included his membership number and the note 'staff to look at this', were reportedly marked for staff attention. The receipt of these images continued until Strike canceled his membership last month, after which the correspondence ceased.

A source told the Mirror, “A lot of staff were unhappy this was going on and that apparently nothing was done. When mail comes to the unit, it is supposed to be vetted. If people know someone with Strike’s history is getting pictures of children then something is seriously wrong.”

Strike, who is known for a concerning criminal record involving assaults on minors, was detained at Charles House. The healthcare provider Craegmoor Healthcare stated, “In the interests of confidentiality, it is not our policy to comment on individuals. We have looked into these concerns and taken appropriate action.”

World Vision claimed to be unaware of Strike's disturbing fantasies. Interestingly, a calendar sent to him contained images of smiling boys and girls for nearly every month. Sharon McLeod, Head of Supporter Care at World Vision, wrote to Strike, saying, “I just wanted to say ‘thank you’. My hope is that it will bring to life how much you as a child sponsor are changing the world for children just like the ones shown on the pictures.”

Strike's criminal past is extensive and troubling. He assaulted a six-year-old boy in 1975 and openly claimed to feel no shame about it. In 1983, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Two years later, he served a three-month jail term for assaulting a ten-year-old girl. In 1991, he was convicted of gross indecency involving a boy. His record includes a six-month sentence in 1994 for threatening police with a sword, after which he was transferred to a secure unit. Despite such a background, Strike has been permitted to leave the facility unescorted.

In August of that year, Strike went AWOL for five weeks. He was eventually found in a tent near a playground, in possession of a tub of Vaseline, 300 cigarettes, and a bottle of alcopop. Although he is still allowed supervised outings, concerns remain regarding his ongoing access outside the secure environment.

World Vision stated, “Our procedures are designed to prevent misuse of the sponsorship programme,” reaffirming their stance on safeguarding measures.