EXETER CHILD RAPIST PETER CLEAVER SENT BACK TO JAIL AFTER GROOMING TEEN BOYS NEAR DOUBLE LOCKS
In November 2018, a disturbing case unfolded in Exeter involving Peter Cleaver, a man with a long history of sexual offenses against minors.The incident came to light when parents of three teenage boys discovered that Cleaver had been grooming their children during a day at the Exeter Canal, near the popular Double Locks pub area.
Cleaver, who is 58 years old and residing in Littleway, Exeter, had befriended the boys while they were swimming in the canal.
His interactions quickly took a troubling turn as he allowed the teenagers to drive his car along a private road leading to the pub, an act that raised immediate concern among witnesses.
During this encounter, Cleaver also presented the boys with treats and gifts, including McDonald's meals, which he used as part of his grooming strategy.
The situation escalated when Cleaver took the boys to a local pub, where he continued to make sexual advances towards one of the teenagers.
His inappropriate behavior was only halted when the boys’ parents intervened, confronting Cleaver at the canal and subsequently calling the police.
It was during this investigation that authorities uncovered Cleaver’s extensive criminal history.
It was revealed that Cleaver had previously served a 12-year prison sentence in 2000 for 17 offenses involving the rape and abuse of five boys during the 1980s and 1990s.
Two of his earlier victims, who were strangers, had been attacked after being groomed in a manner similar to his recent behavior with the three boys.
This pattern of grooming and abuse demonstrated a disturbing consistency in Cleaver’s offending methods.
At Exeter Crown Court, Cleaver pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and three counts of meeting a child following grooming.
Judge David Evans sentenced him to two years and four months in prison.
Additionally, Cleaver was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that prohibited any future contact with boys.
The judge emphasized the seriousness of Cleaver’s actions, stating, “The fact that you returned to offending against underage boys 16 years after receiving a long prison sentence shows that the risk you pose persists across time.
You invited them to drive your car, took them fishing, brought them to the pub, and bought them McDonald's.
There was an element of emotional manipulation.
Your interest in them was clearly, at its core, sexual.
The larger picture, which these boys may not have fully understood, given their age, is that you were grooming them while disguising your sexual interest as horseplay.” Prosecutor Miss Kelly Scrivener detailed how Cleaver first encountered the three boys when he was walking his dog near the Exeter Canal.
She explained that he befriended them and was observed watching them change clothes, even chasing one of the boys after he dropped his towel while naked.
His inappropriate conduct included patting the boys’ bottoms over their clothing, hugging them, and asking to see one of the boy’s genitals.
Witnesses also saw Cleaver allowing the boys to drive his car along a private track, with one passerby noting that one boy was at the wheel while the others hung out of the windows, raising concerns about his influence and the potential danger posed.
Reflecting on Cleaver’s criminal history, it was noted that he had previously been jailed in October 2000 for 12 years after being convicted of 17 sexual abuse offenses against five boys over a decade.
Judge Jeremy Griggs at Exeter Crown Court acknowledged that Cleaver was a “sad and lonely man,” but emphasized that he had “corrupted” his victims into believing his behavior was natural, highlighting the ongoing threat he posed to children and the community.
