June 2007 BARROW MAN JAILED FOR SEX ATTACK ON YOUNG GIRL A FORMER CAF handyman has been jailed for nine months for a sex attack on a teenager. Peter Curnow, 47, of Ainslie Street, Barrow, was caught after sneakyvideo footage of the incident, which took place in the 1990s, was found at his home. The former Community Action Furness caretaker, who also worked at Arc, a furniture reclamation company, on Ironworks Road, Barrow, appeared before Preston Crown Court on Friday. Miss June Morris, prosecuting, said the offence took place several years ago when the victim was a teenager. Curnow admitted one count of indecent assault between May 1994 and May 1996 at an earlier hearing. Mr Brian Williams, defending, said his client was of previous good character. He had pleaded guilty and the touching had been over clothing. Curnow’s background had been investigated and the incident had not been repeated in any way. The defence said: “It was a one-off offence, a one-off set of circumstances.” Judge Robert Brown told the defendant only a custodial sentence could be justified. Curnow has also been put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years. It is known Curnow worked as a caretaker at Nelson Street Community centre, where he carried out odd jobs. PC Phil Dickinson, of Barrow police’s Child and Adult Protection Unit, said they were contacted by a woman who said she was abused by Curnow in the 1990s when she was 13. He said: “She told us that he had indecently touched her and he was arrested. “We searched his home and found evidence that linked the alleged behaviour with the victim. It was a covert video of the girl in a compromising position taken at the time of the abuse. He denied it in interview. He said he hadn’t done anything wrong. “When it came to court he changed his plea to guilty, which will obviously go in his favour as he hasn’t put the victim through the ordeal of having to give evidence.” He said he would encourage any victim of abuse, male or female, to contact them and said: “Anyone can come forward and it will be investigated.”