GRAHAM FORD OF WORCESTER RECEIVES COMMUNITY ORDER FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN 2007
| Red Rose Database
Broadway Child Sexual Abuser
In November 2007, a man from Worcester named Graham Ford was handed a community order after admitting to charges related to exposing himself to a 13-year-old girl. Police, who had been called by the girl’s mother after she was distressed by her daughter's revelations, responded to the scene. They observed Ford, who was partially naked, performing a sexual act on himself through a window, with the police watching from a nearby vantage point, as prosecutor Raj Punia described.
Judge Alistair McCreath expressed his disbelief at the situation, stating he was "absolutely astonished" that such "harmful conduct" was witnessed by the girl and the officers together. Miss Punia further explained that police happened to be present when Ford's offending was repeated, but it was unclear what the girl might have seen on that second occasion.
The judge also criticized police for comments made in a victim impact statement, remarking, "It makes my blood boil and is deeply impertinent and wholly inappropriate to tell the court how to do its business."
Graham Ford, 55, of Sandscroft Avenue, Broadway, pleaded guilty to five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. He was sentenced to a three-year community order, which requires him to attend a sex offenders' programme and register as a sex offender for five years.
It was revealed that Ford’s behavior was triggered after he discovered that the girl and a friend had been exposing their breasts at a window last year, at the request of a 14-year-old boy, as Miss Punia indicated. Ford witnessed this and subsequently engaged in sexual acts while the girl watched from her window.
On March 25 of that year, the girl reported to her mother that Ford had been staring at her bedroom for about 40 minutes before performing a sex act on himself and parading semi-naked. Ford told police that his actions had been "stupid" and expressed remorse.
Defence lawyer Lee Marklew stated, “He had no business taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. He recognizes that the behavior is deeply worrying to the community at large.”
The judge, noting that Ford is partially deaf, clarified that he believed Ford was not driven by perverted sexual pleasure from being observed by a child. Had that been the case, the judge said, "I would have thrown the book at him."
Instead, Ford had acted impulsively after learning that the girl had exposed her breasts to a youth. The judge expressed his intention to mark the offenses with a suspended prison sentence but emphasized that the best way to protect the community was to reduce the risk of future offending.
Judge Alistair McCreath expressed his disbelief at the situation, stating he was "absolutely astonished" that such "harmful conduct" was witnessed by the girl and the officers together. Miss Punia further explained that police happened to be present when Ford's offending was repeated, but it was unclear what the girl might have seen on that second occasion.
The judge also criticized police for comments made in a victim impact statement, remarking, "It makes my blood boil and is deeply impertinent and wholly inappropriate to tell the court how to do its business."
Graham Ford, 55, of Sandscroft Avenue, Broadway, pleaded guilty to five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. He was sentenced to a three-year community order, which requires him to attend a sex offenders' programme and register as a sex offender for five years.
It was revealed that Ford’s behavior was triggered after he discovered that the girl and a friend had been exposing their breasts at a window last year, at the request of a 14-year-old boy, as Miss Punia indicated. Ford witnessed this and subsequently engaged in sexual acts while the girl watched from her window.
On March 25 of that year, the girl reported to her mother that Ford had been staring at her bedroom for about 40 minutes before performing a sex act on himself and parading semi-naked. Ford told police that his actions had been "stupid" and expressed remorse.
Defence lawyer Lee Marklew stated, “He had no business taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. He recognizes that the behavior is deeply worrying to the community at large.”
The judge, noting that Ford is partially deaf, clarified that he believed Ford was not driven by perverted sexual pleasure from being observed by a child. Had that been the case, the judge said, "I would have thrown the book at him."
Instead, Ford had acted impulsively after learning that the girl had exposed her breasts to a youth. The judge expressed his intention to mark the offenses with a suspended prison sentence but emphasized that the best way to protect the community was to reduce the risk of future offending.