June 2011

Sex beast jailed for abusing youngsters

A PAEDOPHILE who abused a girl he had invited to see his electric train set in the 1980s gave a tearful apology as he was jailed for two years.

Roger Barrett, of Chewton Common Road, Christchurch, denied the charges at a trial, making his two victims give evidence, but issued an apology from the dock at Oxford Crown Court as he appeared for sentencing.

He was convicted of four counts of indecency with a child and two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child in Headington, Oxfordshire, and was jailed for two years.

After the verdicts, another victim told police last week that she too had been abused by Barrett in 1987 or 1988.

Barrett admitted two more counts of indecency with a child in relation to the new complainant and asked that they be taken into consideration by Judge Patrick Eccles.

Rachel Drake, prosecuting, said the latest victim to come forward was seven or eight when Barrett invited her to play with an electric train set in his attic. He then asked the girl to perform a sex act on him. She said this happened “twice, possibly three times”.

A tearful Barrett, 68, stood up at the sentencing hearing and said: “As it happened a long time ago I’ve put all these actions in the back of my mind.

“I was just so disgusted with myself, you try to forget about it and get on with life.

“All I can say is I’m so sorry and full of remorse for what I’ve done. If only they were here now I would say to their faces I’m so sorry for what I’ve done and I would like them to know that.”

Judge Eccles was constrained to sentence Barrett by the guidelines that applied at the time of the offences.

In the 1980s, indecency with a child carried a maximum jail term of two years.

Taking indecent photographs of a child was punishable with a maximum sentence of three years.

Judge Eccles said: “It does seem extraordinary now that it was considered more serious to have the photographs than to commit the offence.”

Jailing Barrett, the judge said his victims had been “profoundly affected by the experience of having to give evidence”.

Outside court, Detective Constable Nick Hills said: “Roger Barrett has been convicted for a series of very unpleasant offences against young children. I would like to pay tribute to the courage of the victims who have come forward and given evidence in court.”