JOHN MERCER FROM HARLOW SENTENCED FOR ABDUCTION AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN WOODS

In a disturbing incident that took place in Harlow, Essex, a man named John Mercer, aged 31, was involved in the abduction of a nine-year-old girl during a warm summer evening on June 17, 2017. Mercer, who resides in Quarry Spring and is a father himself, called out to the young girl as she was playing with her friends in the neighborhood. Seizing the opportunity, he lured her into a nearby secluded woodland area, where he attempted to carry out a sexual assault.

The situation was witnessed by a vigilant neighbor who saw Mercer taking the girl into the isolated part of the woods. The neighbor's observation played a crucial role in the subsequent police investigation. Mercer’s actions prompted immediate concern and alarm among the local community, given the vulnerability of the young victim.

Mercer appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, October 27, where he faced charges related to child abduction and attempted sexual assault. The court proceedings revealed the gravity of his actions and the psychological trauma inflicted upon the young girl. Mercer was sentenced to a total of five years in prison. Specifically, he received an 18-month sentence for the abduction and a three years and eight months sentence for the attempted sexual assault, with both sentences to run concurrently.

In addition to these charges, Mercer was convicted of possessing a significant number of indecent images of children, including movies featuring victims as young as one year old. He was sentenced to 16 months for this offense. The police found hundreds of such images on his phone during his arrest, which occurred the day after the incident. Mercer claimed that the images were stored on his device due to a blackmailing incident involving someone he met on a swingers website, but the court did not accept this explanation.

Prosecutor Jane Oldfield detailed the assault, stating, “We have heard that he wanted to talk to her about sex and wanted to show his willy. He then put his hands down his trousers at which point she said no. He tried to touch her genital area but she ran off.” The court acknowledged that although the girl was not physically harmed, the emotional and psychological impact of the ordeal has left her and her family deeply traumatized.

Following the incident, law enforcement authorities acted swiftly. The police were called immediately, and Mercer was arrested the next day. During his arrest, officers discovered hundreds of indecent images on his mobile device. Mercer’s defense claimed that the images were related to a blackmailing scheme, but the judge, Emma Peters, was clear in her condemnation. She emphasized that such images perpetuate child abuse and that viewing them fuels the ongoing trade of child exploitation.

Judge Peters remarked, “Those who take pleasure in watching these images fuel child abuse. I hear about these on a regular basis, sometimes daily, and these are some of the most repulsive examples of child sexual abuse images I have heard of – the content of it defies description. Let me be clear in saying that watching this fuels this trade.”

Mercer was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having contact with his children. The court’s decision underscores the severity of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses to the community in Harlow and beyond.