JASON GAUNT, FORMER CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER FROM WALSALL, AVOIDS JAIL OVER SEX OFFENCES IN GUILDFORD
In April 2011, Jason Gaunt, a 22-year-old former children's entertainer from Walsall, was spared a prison sentence after admitting to multiple sex offences involving young boys.Gaunt was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to a three-year community rehabilitation order on Friday, April 15, after admitting to 19 charges related to three boys aged between 11 and 15.
Gaunt, of Leander Close, met the boys while working at two holiday camps during the summer holidays: Kessingland Beach Park Resort in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and Seawick Holiday Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, between 2007 and 2009.
The court was told that he would establish friendships with young holidaymakers at these sites and then contact them through Facebook and other social networking platforms.
He engaged in sexually explicit online chats and even performed sexual acts live on his webcam, encouraging his victims to do the same.
During sentencing, Gaunt also admitted to reaching out to a fourth child through Facebook after his family read media reports and came forward; this was taken into account by Judge Peter Moss.
A psychological report, ordered by Judge Moss in February, revealed that Gaunt has an IQ of 150 but suffers from social difficulties stemming from a childhood dog attack.
Kim Jenkins, Gaunt’s defence solicitor, described his condition as “almost the mad professor scenario” and explained that Gaunt’s mother, who followed the case closely, described the dog attack as life-changing.
She told the court that Gaunt then attended secondary school with scars on his face, which led to serious bullying.
The mother reported these issues to the local education authority, resulting in the bullies being made to stand outside the headteacher’s office at lunchtime.
Gaunt was arrested last year in February following an investigation by Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).
During the investigation, two computers were seized from his home.
Analysis of these computers uncovered contact with two additional young boys and a cache of 105 sexually explicit images of children.
In a February hearing, Gaunt pleaded guilty to several charges, including five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of attempting to do so, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and multiple counts of possessing and making indecent images of children.
He also admitted to attempting to distribute such images.
Judge Moss acknowledged that the severity of the offences was enough to warrant a custodial sentence but also considered options for community-based punishment.
He remarked, “It’s a serious matter for a 20-year-old to engage an 11-year-old in sexual matters.
I’m concerned to ensure that Jason Gaunt doesn’t do any more harm in the future but I do require more input.
He has committed a very serious offence that would and probably should result in a custodial sentence.
I am not shutting the door on that but I am not contented with the nuts and bolts of this.” Apart from the community order, Gaunt was ordered to comply with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), restricting him from working with or contacting young boys either in person or online.
Following the case, Detective Constable Jon Merry of POLIT said, “Gaunt used his position as a children’s entertainer to meet young boys and become familiar with them before then contacting them using Facebook and other sites such as MSN messenger.
That contact would soon progress to sexually explicit conversations and then to Gaunt performing sexual acts in front of his webcam while encouraging the boys to do the same.
This case should serve as a warning to teenagers and their parents that people like Gaunt will use social networking sites and chat rooms to groom young people for sexual purposes.”
