WALTER BLAKER'S CRIMES IN EXETER: JUDGES REJECT APPEAL OVER SEVEN-YEAR SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES

In a case that has shocked the community of Exeter, Walter Edward Blaker, aged 72, has been convicted of a series of serious sexual offences committed against a young girl during the late 1990s. The offences, which involved a sustained campaign of abuse, only came to light years later when the victim, after viewing a television programme about child abuse, decided to report her abuser to the police.

Blaker, a resident of Sanders Road, Pinhoe, Exeter, was sentenced to seven years in prison at Exeter Crown Court on March 19. The court found him guilty of eight counts of sexual assault against the girl, as well as one count of indecency involving another girl. The jury's verdict was based on compelling evidence that detailed the extent of Blaker’s predatory behavior.

The court heard harrowing details of the abuse, including an incident where Blaker forced the young girl to sit naked on a photocopier while he produced an image, and threatened her with the possibility of her parents going to prison if she disclosed what had happened. The judge, Mr. Justice Sweeney, along with Lord Justice Aikens and Judge Peter Jacobs, emphasized the severity of the crimes, noting that the abuse was accompanied by threats designed to silence the victim.

It was revealed that the victim was under 14 at the time of the abuse, which took place in the late 1990s. The court also heard about another incident from the 1980s, where Blaker showed a different girl a photograph of a naked woman and asked her to kiss him “like a boyfriend,” again when she was under 14.

The case gained further attention when Blaker was confronted with the allegations in 2008. During this confrontation, he dismissed the accusations, claiming that the main victim was merely an “attention-seeking drama queen,” and described the other girl as a “liar who had jumped on the bandwagon.”

Blaker’s legal team argued that the seven-year sentence was excessive, citing his advanced age and the belief that he was unlikely to re-offend. However, the Court of Appeal in London dismissed these arguments. Mr. Justice Sweeney stated that the sentence was appropriate, given the gravity of the offences, and that it could not be criticized as either incorrect or excessive.

In his ruling, Mr. Justice Sweeney underscored the importance of holding offenders accountable for such serious crimes, especially when they involve vulnerable victims. The case remains a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact of sexual abuse and the importance of justice for victims in Exeter and beyond.

As of November 2014, Walter Blaker has now been released from prison, but his case continues to serve as a somber example of the criminal justice system’s response to child sexual abuse in Exeter.