wealdstone Child Sexual Abuser

December 1998 Wealdstone paedophile jailed A trained chef from Wealdstone was jailed for two years on Friday at Harrow Crown Court, for indecently assaulting his nine-year-old step daughter.

The 31-year-old man, who has also worked as a cab-driver and lorry-driver and cannot be named, was baby-sitting his three children and step daughter, for his estranged wife on Friday August 7th this year, when the incident took place.

The child received therapy immediately after the incident, and is said to still be deeply distressed by the ordeal.

The defence requested that the accused be placed in a sexual offenders’ unit for observation by trained professionals, before sentence was passed, but Her Honour Judge Freedman said that treatment programmes in prison would suffice, and the seriousness of the offence meant that only a substantial custodial sentence could be justified.

The court heard that when first interviewed by police, after his arrest on August 15, the accused man suggested that it was his step-daughter who had initiated the sexual encounter.

He later pleaded guilty and has not been in touch with the family, except for a birthday card he sent to the family house.

Judge Freedman said this showed remorse, and commended him for sparing the young girl the trauma of being cross-examined on the video evidence she had given.

The defence also claimed that the man had been sexually assaulted as a child, by an uncle who is now deceased, and asked for a minimum custodial sentence so that his relationship with his three children could continue without too much hindrance.

The judge added “Your step-daughter needs to know you are well out of the way, before she can make proper use of the counselling and therapy services on offer to her.

You were her father figure, and you abused her trust.

“Nothing I have heard today has changed my mind that a substantial sentence is needed.” The judge sentenced the man to two years in prison, of which he will serve half, and said he was to be legally protected, as is the case with many child sex offenders, from other inmates.

Since being in custody, the accused man had received threats, and has had “a painful and nasty” experience.

She also told him that within 14 days of his release from prison, he will be required to register with local police and keep them up-dated of his whereabouts for a further ten years.