IAN HUNT FROM LEIGHTON BUZZARD SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IN SNARESBROOK

In a case that has shocked the community of Leighton Buzzard, Ian Hunt, aged 47, was sentenced to a five-year prison term after being found guilty of a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of young children. The sentencing took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court last Tuesday, where Hunt faced the consequences of his actions that spanned over several years.

Hunt, a resident of Millbank in Leighton, pleaded guilty to a total of 20 counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency. Additionally, he admitted to five offences related to the creation of indecent photographic images of children, along with possession of such illicit images stored on his computer. The court was informed that during a police raid on Hunt’s residence in September of the previous year, officers discovered disturbing child pornography images of the most severe kind on his computer system.

The court proceedings revealed a disturbing history of Hunt’s criminal behaviour dating back to his teenage years. It was disclosed that Hunt was just 14 years old when he committed his first known assault, which involved a boy with whom he was playing with toy soldiers. As he grew older, Hunt’s offending continued into his twenties, including an indecent assault on a five-year-old girl. During police interviews, Hunt attempted to shift blame onto the young victim, claiming she was aware of what was happening. Prosecutor Graeme Brown quoted Hunt’s own words from the police interview, where he stated, “She knew that was getting me going.”

Hunt’s pattern of abuse extended to three more children until he ceased offending in the early 1990s, when he was around 30 years old. It was only after one of his victims found the courage to report the abuse to authorities that Hunt was confronted and ultimately confessed to his crimes.

Representing Hunt, solicitor Helen Guest, provided context for his actions, suggesting that Hunt’s own history of being abused by an older male as a child played a role in his offending. She explained that Hunt was asked to help with a bicycle, during which an older man attempted to lure him into a house. The situation was interrupted by passersby. Guest also noted that Hunt had been told he was “ugly” many times and had struggled with relationships with girls, which she implied may have contributed to his deviant behaviour during his teenage years.

During the sentencing, Judge Inigo Bing addressed Hunt directly, condemning his actions. The judge stated, “Your depravity did not distinguish between boy or girl. Each was an object of your perverted desires.” He emphasized that the absence of a victim impact statement did not diminish the suffering endured by Hunt’s victims. The judge acknowledged that the victims’ lives had been profoundly affected by Hunt’s actions, and he made it clear that it was no justification to point to Hunt’s own history of abuse as a child. Hunt was seen hanging his head in shame as the court delivered its verdict, marking a significant moment in the ongoing fight against child sexual abuse in the Leighton Buzzard area.