IAN FOSTER, SHEFFIELD PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED TO REDUCED TERMS ON APPEAL
In October 2014, a Sheffield man known as Ian Foster, described by a court as an ‘arrogant and determined’ paedophile, saw his prison sentence reduced on appeal.Foster, a 69-year-old married pensioner from Peckham Road, High Green, was convicted of subjecting nine schoolgirls and one boy to heinous sexual abuse, including acts that involved inciting victims to have sex with each other after giving them alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs such as Viagra.
He was originally sentenced to 14 years at Sheffield Crown Court in May 2014, following his conviction on 15 child sex offences across two separate trials.
During his first trial, he was found guilty of offenses involving seven victims—six girls and one boy.
The second trial saw Foster convicted of sexually assaulting three vulnerable girls at his former residence in Gleadless Valley, after being introduced to them by Amanda Spencer, a 23-year-old prostitute and female pimp.
Foster applied to have his sentence reduced, and senior judges at the Court of Appeal in London agreed, lowering his sentence to 12 years.
Lady Justice Macur stated that Foster led a ‘voyeuristic and predatory offending lifestyle involving teenage children.’ The court detailed how he lured victims to locations like his home, his car, or remote spots, where he would inappropriately touch them or force them to perform sexual acts on each other.
The court revealed that Foster contacted victims through a schoolgirl he had abused and via Spencer, who was convicted of 16 child prostitution offences and sentenced to 12 years.
Spencer’s involvement was described as that of someone who exploited “weak and vulnerable” children to engage in sex trade activities.
Despite his convictions, Foster continued to deny his guilt, claiming he merely acted as a ‘friend’ to the children.
He has a prior criminal history, with 12 convictions related to child sex offences.
Lady Justice Macur concluded, “To that extent, and that extent only, this appeal is allowed,” reducing Foster’s sentence by two years.
Earlier, in May 2014, Foster, then aged 68, was labelled an ‘evil’ paedophile by a judge, who sentenced him to 14 years.
Foster’s crimes involved indecent assaults on three victims in his Gleadless Valley home, and included offences from a previous trial involving six counts of sexual activity with a child, five counts of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of sexual activity with a child, dating back to 2003.
Judge Murphy condemned Foster’s actions, noting he had disobeyed abduction notices restricting contact with under-16s, and described his involvement as motivated by exploitation rather than any form of benevolence.
Foster’s behavior was described as malevolent, having permeated the investigation and showing no remorse.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Bob Chapman commented on the severity of their crimes, saying, “Twelve years for Spencer and 14 for Foster reflect the severity of the offences before the court.
They got exactly what they deserved.”
