MICHAEL ASHMORE'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN LIVERPOOL AND LONDON REVEALED

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through both Liverpool and London, Michael Ashmore, a man with a long history of sexual offenses against minors, has been subjected to legal proceedings that expose a pattern of abuse spanning decades.

In December 2014, Ashmore, aged 68, appeared before Snaresbrook Crown Court to face charges related to the sexual abuse of a young boy during the 1970s. The court proceedings revealed a troubling history of misconduct, including previous convictions and allegations that date back to his earlier years.

The victim, a 14-year-old boy whose parents had divorced when he was just five years old, had moved from Durham to London at the age of 11 to live with his grandmother. She suggested that he join the Shipman Youth Centre in Beckton, East London, to help him make friends and integrate into a new environment. It was at this youth centre that the victim first encountered Ashmore, who was employed by Newham Council to work at the facility located on Prince Regent Lane.

Initially, Ashmore appeared to be a friendly figure, often dropping the young boy home after youth club sessions and seemingly establishing a trusting relationship. However, this facade concealed a sinister intent. Over the course of approximately four years, Ashmore exploited his position of authority and the vulnerability of the young victim, engaging in repeated acts of sexual abuse. The abuse was carried out in various settings, including camping trips and overnight stays at campsites in Epping Forest and Cornwall. On one occasion, Ashmore molested the boy while they shared a tent at a campsite, further illustrating the predatory nature of his actions.

Despite the severity of these allegations, no immediate action was taken at the time to report Ashmore to the authorities. Instead, he was allowed to transfer to another youth centre, continuing his work with children without any apparent repercussions. It was only in December 2012 that the victim, now an adult, reported the abuse to the police, leading to a criminal investigation that culminated in a trial in June 2014.

During the trial, Ashmore faced nine charges of indecent assault and indecency with a child. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the court heard testimony from the victim, who was required to give evidence. Former colleagues from the Shipman Youth Centre also provided testimony, shedding light on Ashmore’s conduct. The jury found Ashmore guilty of two counts of indecent assault but was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining seven charges. Consequently, a retrial was ordered.

In October 2014, Ashmore changed his plea, admitting to three additional counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child. Court evidence revealed that Ashmore had a prior conviction from 1996 for similar offenses committed in the late 1970s, after he had left the Shipman Youth Centre and was working at a youth centre in West Sussex. For this earlier conviction, he received a three-year probation order and was mandated to attend a sex offenders’ programme. His barrister argued that Ashmore’s participation in the programme was difficult but that he had not offended since his late 20s and early 30s, suggesting that an assessment of his current risk level was necessary.

Judge Ian Darling sentenced Ashmore to 15 months in prison, condemning him for having “ruined his victim’s life for his own self gratification.” The judge acknowledged that Ashmore had suffered abuse as a child himself but emphasized that this was not a mitigating factor. In his remarks, Judge Darling stated that Ashmore had exploited the trust of a vulnerable young boy, who was described as a misfit in London, and had committed these acts with impunity. The judge also expressed concern that there may be other victims who have yet to come forward, indicating the potential for further revelations.

In a separate but related context, Ashmore’s troubling history extends to Liverpool, where he has been working as a hands-on healer at a spiritualist church. Despite his previous conviction, Ashmore, now 59 and residing in Oxton, has been involved with the Liverpool Spiritualist Church on Daulby Street, performing one-on-one healing sessions with children and teenagers, some as young as 11. Police investigations suggest that Ashmore’s activities at the church may be in violation of the law, given his status on the sex offenders’ register following his 1996 conviction for abusing a 14-year-old boy in London.

He has publicly denied any inappropriate conduct, claiming that rumors are malicious attempts to tarnish his reputation and that of the church. When confronted outside the church, Ashmore stated, “I have worked for a carer for 30 years and I am much loved by people at this church. These rumours are a result of evil, malicious people trying to ruin my reputation and that of the church. It is the good work the church does that I’m concerned about. I can just disappear if these allegations go public but the church will suffer. I am not a child molester and I would never touch a child in any way that was inappropriate.”

Officials from the Liverpool Spiritualist Union, including General Secretary Charles Coulston, have acknowledged awareness of the situation but have refused to comment further, citing procedures and privacy concerns. The ongoing investigation continues to scrutinize Ashmore’s activities, raising questions about the safety of children involved in his healing sessions and the potential breach of legal restrictions imposed on him as a registered sex offender.