August 2012 Paedophile is jailed over sex with child A charity volunteer from Langport has been jailed for eight years after he used his position to befriend a 14-year-old’s family and groom her for sex. Richard Harwood, 65, offered the family discounts at the charity store where he worked and impressed them by buying their daughter lavish presents. He had sex with the girl on regular occasions for two years until he was caught groping her in his car outside his own home by a quick-witted neighbour when she was 16. He denied doing anything wrong but was trapped by a series of love letters and cards he had sent to the girl, Exeter Crown Court was told. He ordered her to tear up the incriminating evidence but the victim and her mother spent hours reassembling the letters like a jigsaw. They showed him making lewd references to her body including a bizarre code in which he nicknamed her two breasts as M and B, which was short for Mild and Bitter. Harwood met the girl when they were both out walking their dogs and then inveigled his way into her family by helping them cope when they were struggling to make ends meet. He pretended to be helping the girl overcome the trauma of bullying at school but in reality he was taking her home for secret sex sessions and ensuring her silence by telling her nobody would believe her if she complained. Retired bricklayer Harwood, of Parsonage Close, Langport, and formerly of Westfield Road, Curry Rivel, denied eight charges of sexual activity with a child but was found guilty by a jury at Taunton Crown Court last month. He was jailed for eight years by Recorder Mr Nigel Lickley, QC, at Exeter Crown Court, and told his behaviour had betrayed the trust of the girl. He told him: ”You met this girl when she was probably 13 and walking her dog and then she started receiving presents from you. It is clear you liked her and it became an infatuation. “You sent her letters and cards which show you considered yourself to be in a relationship with her and you described yourself as being in love with her, but the fact was that she was 14 and you were in your early 60s. “You continued to buy her gifts and inveigled your way into her family, who were not the most sophisticated people and found you difficult to resist. “You became somebody they looked up to and trusted. You abused that trust. “Finally you were seen in your car with the girl by a neighbour with your hand down her clothes and you stopped. “Her parents trusted you because they thought you were a good influence and were helping her overcome problems at school but you were abusing this girl for you own gratification. “The aggravating features are that there were multiple occasions, there was a vast disparity in age, a significant breach of trust in which you created a pseudo father-daughter relationship, and you made threats to her to ensure she did not tell anyone.” Miss Virginia Cornwall, prosecuting, said the jury had found him guilty of a sustained course of conduct in which he had sex with her on many occasions at his home when his wife was out at work. Mr Patrick Mason, defending, said Harwood is a grandfather who has been married for 43 years and should be settling into a peaceful retirement. He said he continues to have a strong relationship with his family. Mr Mason said the victim had indicated that the verdict and likely sentence were a source of comfort to her which would help her healing process. Harwood was a former steward at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton.