March 2016 Pervert who filmed himself molesting girls in shops jailed A FORMER political researcher who filmed himself touching young girls at toy shops and car boot sales has been jailed for 18 months. Robert Grant, 62, attended public events across the country with a spy pen camera hidden in his bag looking for children to molest in an eight year spree of perversion. The paedophile then made DVDs which he could watch at his leisure and gave them sickening names. He was finally caught out by a horrified shopper who saw him assaulting her grand-daughter as she played with remote control cars at Hamleys shortly before Christmas 2014. Grant was caught with a laptop crammed with videos from the toy store accompanied by sickening commentary and a search of his hotel room uncovered spy pens. The convicted sex offender later claimed he had come to London for a ‘holiday’. Grant was given two years for the Hamleys offences last June and he was given another 18 months at Southwark Crown Court after police found his DVD collection at his home. Judge Anthony Leonard told him: ‘It is right to say that a number of the occasions caught on video were occasions where a large number of the public were present – occasions on which you would no doubt avoid getting caught. ‘I can now see that you have been carrying out this behaviour with young girls for a period of eight years and that in your offending you have sought and received sexual gratification from touching young girls over a long period. ‘You did your best to get away with it unnoticed. ‘I now judge that you have had a very disturbing lifetimes obsession with young girls. ‘In respect of each charge you will go to prison for 18 months, making a total of 18 months imprisonment in all as the sentences will run concurrently. ‘I am truly concerned that a man sentenced to a two year term of imprisonment does not get the benefit whilst in custody of a proper sexual offences course. ‘It is ridiculous that a person who will have served three and a half years imprisonment may come out without having taken part in such a course.’ Edward Lewis, prosecuting, said: ‘There had been a search of his premises in South Derbyshire and some DVDs had been seized at his home.’ Those DVDs were found to contain a folder called ‘Touchings’ which featured footage taken at Bishopsgate Fair in 2006. ‘They show young, pre-pubescent girls being touched. ‘In some of the footage Mr Grant records images of himself prior to the girls being touched. ‘He wears a very distinctive sovereign ring – that ring can be seen.’ Mr Lewis outlined that the offences Grant has admitted to include incidents at the Birmingham NEC, the West Quay shopping centre in Southampton, Donington Market and at car boot sales. Grant admitted that he is sexually attracted to young girls aged between nine and 14. The court heard he has previous convictions for sexual assault and for the production of indecent images dating back as far as 1983. Simon Gledhill, representing Grant, said: ‘He has put planning into sexual assaults of children and others but they remain relatively minor in nature. ‘He considers that he has thrown his life away.’ Grant, of Coniston Court, Darklands Road, Swadlincote, admitted 11 counts of sexual assault, four counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and one count each of taking an indecent photograph, making an indecent photograph and outraging public decency. He has now been sentenced to 18 months in prison and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is set to remain in place until 2035. June 2015 Paedophile who stalked Hamleys toy shop at xmas for children to abuse is jailed A predatory paedophile who stalked the aisles of Hamleys toy shop hunting for little girls to attack has been jailed for two years. Robert Peter Grant, 61, preyed on children at the world famous London store two days before Christmas. He was only caught after a woman saw him touching her nine-year-old granddaughter as she played with remote control cars. The grandmother confronted balding Grant, who replied ‘I’m sorry ma’am.’ Store detectives and then police were summoned, and arrested Grant – who was said at an earlier hearing to have worked for South Derbyshire Tory MP Heather Wheeler at the time. A search of the shop and Grant’s room at the Easy Hotel in West Drayton, west London, revealed spy pens and a laptop crammed with videos from the toy store accompanied by sickening commentary. The convicted sex offender, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, later claimed he had come to London for a ‘holiday’ and he would only molest children if ‘the opportunity presented itself’. Grant – who has previous convictions for indecent assault in 1983 and making indecent images in 1999 – appeared at Southwark Crown Court to be sentenced after admitting two counts of intentionally touching girls under the age of 13 and a further charge of taking indecent photographs. Prosecutor Peter Zinner said: “Robert Peter Grant targeted child victims, predominantly young females aged between nine and 14 years for his own sexual gratification. “Those offences were pre-planned, pre-meditated and specifically targeted at vulnerable child victims. “In addition the Crown say the defendant went prepared to take a visual record of his exploits with covert devices such as camera pens, which he took with him and which he recorded those events for his later sexual gratification. “The Crown cannot underestimate the potential for psychological harm caused to the young victims by this deeply abhorrent behaviour,” he said. “Matters start on 22 December last year, a young girl excited and swept up in the pre-season mood was with her grandparents and her brother in Hamleys toy store on Regent Street. “Whilst the children were playing with some remote control toys – and it has to be said it was a very busy store being before Christmas – it appears the grandmother was taking some photographs.” But when the girl’s grandmother looked through some of the snaps, she spotted Grant loitering close to the playing child. “She became concerned as she could see a man standing directly behind the girl very close to her and she was concerned about this,” said Mr Zinner. “She thought it was unusual and walked around to see exactly what was happening. “She could see the man with his hand on her granddaughter’s bottom. “As one would expect, she pulled him away and said to him: “How dare you touch my grand-daughter!’ Grant replied: ‘I’m sorry, ma’am.’ “A search of the area by security staff carried out following Mr Grant’s detention and a USB memory stick in the shape of a ballpoint pen was found discarded in the vicinity where the incident took place. “When in custody the top of the stick was found on Mr Grant’s person,”said Mr Zinner. A search of Grant’s London hotel room revealed two spy pens that were taken for analysis along with his laptop. “A number of video files were found on the laptop which clearly demonstrated that the covert filming devices had been used inside Hamleys and the surrounding areas on more than one day. “In fact there is clear evidence on the videos of the defendant and in some cases, whether by accident or design, his face is seen on the videos effectively stalking young girls, touching them about the buttocks and photographing up their skirts,” added Mr Zinner. Folders marked ‘Hamleys 20 December’ and ‘Hamleys 21 December’ were found on his computer with a sickening commentary alongside them. “Little Asian girl with nice plump little a***, two to three good feels,’ wrote Grant of one abused victim. Other times he brags of visiting the “flying display” in Hamleys and groping a child for “several minutes” and of a “nice stroke and fondle”. Mr Zinner said: “Mr Grant said he accepted that on the occasions he went to Hamleys he probably – in his words – touched a dozen or so girls over the course of three days. “However he denied this was for any sexual gratification but he accepted that he did find what he was doing pleasurable.” Mr Zinner told the court the defendant failed to demonstrate any understanding or remorse for the ‘alarm and distress’ caused to both the victims and their families. But Simon Gledhill, for Grant, claimed the widower was remorseful and added his actions had a ‘strong capacity to upset’ but needed to be distinguished from causing ‘serious psychological harm’. “He is aware he has a problem, the source of that problem he is unaware of,’ he added. Speaking at an earlier hearing shortly after Grant’s arrest, Tim Bittlestone, defending, had told the court: “Grant works for Derbyshire based MP Heather Wheeler’. Jailing Grant for two years, Judge Anthony Leonard QC said: “The timing of your visit and the provision of equipment was quite deliberate and it was so you could obtain sexual gratification from stalking young girls.” December 2014 Convicted paedophile ‘purposely targeted Hamelys to touch children’ just days before Christmas A convicted sex offender ‘purposely targeted’ youngsters in Hamleys toy shop just days before Christmas, a court heard. Peter Grant, 61, admitted groping a nine-year-old girl’s bottom while she and her brother played with remote control cars at the world famous store in London’s Regent Street on December 22. Her horrified grandmother, who was taking photos of the two trying out the toys, spotted Grant and confronted him. Store detectives were alerted and then police were summoned to arrest Grant. A search of the scene revealed a biro pen concealing a USB stick, which police suspect could be used to a recording device. A laptop and other equipment were discovered in Grant’s bedroom at the EasyHotel near Heathrow Airport. Prosecutor Kate Shilton told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “The nine-year-old victim was on trip with her brother and grandparents in Hamleys on Regent Street in the afternoon. “The children were playing with some remote control cars and the grandmother was taking pictures of them on her camera. “As she looked at the photos, she became concerned she could see a male standing directly next to the little girl and could see that this man had his hand on her grand daughter’s bottom. “She went straight over to him, pulled him away and said ‘How dare you touch my granddaughter!’, to which Grant said ‘I’m sorry ma’am’. “Security and then police were called, and in a search of the area a USB stick in the shape of a ball point pen without a lid was found.” Grant, of Coniston Court, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, was found with a lid matching the pen when he was taken into custody, the court heard. A laptop, power cables and other USB pen devices were found in his hotel room, Ms Shilton added. The equipment is being tested as police believe it may have been used to record images. Grant, who has previous convictions for indecent assault in 1983 and making indecent images in 1999, admitted intentional sexual touching on a girl under 13. Ms Shilton added: “The Crown say this offence is pre-planned and Grant has purposely targeted a children’s toy store at Christmas and planned the presence of children at the time.” District Judge Tan Ikram adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports on January 9. Remanding balding Grant in custody, Judge Ikram said: “This is a most serious offence where it is suggested you have targeted these premises and a child. “You have ongoing issues and I have substantial grounds to believe that if I release you you will commit further offences.”