November 2003 Studio photographer jailed for child sex offences A PHOTOGRAPHER who became “obsessed” with one of his young teenage models has been jailed for three years for child sex offences. Jack Frere, of Naishcombe Hill, Wick, was given the prison term for six indecent assaults on the girl when she was aged between 13 and 14. Gloucester Crown Court heard that Frere, 59, who was convicted by a jury in September, had preyed on the youngster throughout 2001. During the trial, Judge David Harington was told the defendant had touched his victim intimately and attempted to commit various sex acts on her. The court heard the first assault took place when the girl was aged 13 and had stayed overnight at Frere’s house to baby-sit. He assaulted her while she was in bed. Lynne Matthews, defending, said that her client had become “obsessed” with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but was not a paedophile. Miss Matthews said: “I think it’s fair to say children are not at risk from Jack Frere. He was obsessed with one child. “The photos we produced of the victim show she didn’t have the appearance of a child and that, perhaps, corroborates the psychiatric report that he is not a paedophile. ” Miss Matthews said that, despite his conviction by a jury, her client was finding it hard to come to terms with his situation. “He feels himself to be a victim of a miscarriage of justice but he is forced to accept the jury’s verdict, ” she said. “There’s no appeal anticipated. He will take his punishment.” Judge Harington heard that, since his court case, Frere had lost contact with his own three children and was suffering from depression. She added that during the course of his work as a photographer, the defendant had been in contact with hundreds of models and always behaved “impeccably”. Simon Burns, prosecuting, told the court that Frere’s victim was suffering difficulties herself. He said: “There has been something of a setback in her life. “She is seeing a psychologist.” Passing sentence, Judge Harington told the defendant that he was jailing him on the basis that he was not a paedophile. The judge said: “There’s no evidence you have paedophile tendencies and I sentence you on that basis”