April 2011

Kids’ entertainer spared jail over sex offences

A FORMER children’s entertainer at a holiday camp, who used social networking sites to groom boys he met through his work, has avoided jail.

Jason Gaunt, 22, was sentenced to a three-year community rehabilitation order at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (April 15) after admitting to 19 offences involving three boys aged between 11 and 15.

Gaunt, of Leander Close, Walsall, met the boys while working at two camps during summer holidays – Kessingland Beach Park Resort in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and the Seawick Holiday Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. between 2007 and 2009.

The court heard Gaunt would befriend young people who were on holiday at the sites and then contact them through Facebook and other websites.

He would indulge in sexually explicit web chats and progress to performing sexual acts in front of his webcam and encouraging his victims to do the same.

During the sentencing, Gaunt admitted contacting a fourth child, who he met at Kessingland, via Facebook after the boy’s family had read media reports and come forward. This was taken into consideration by Judge Peter Moss.

A psychological report that was ordered by Judge Moss in February showed Gaunt had an IQ of 150 but suffers from social inadequacies following a dog attack when he was a child.

Kim Jenkins, Gaunt’s defence counsel, described it as “almost the mad professor scenario”.

She added: “His mother who has been following the case throughout.

“She described the dog attack as really life changing for him as he went to secondary school with scars on his face which resulted in him being the subject of some extremely serious bullying.

“She did bring this to the attention of the LEA and as a result the bullies were made to stand outside the headmaster’s office at lunch time.”

Gaunt was arrested in February last year following an investigation by Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), two computers were seized from his home.

A subsequent examination of the computers led detectives to discover two other young boys Gaunt had been in contact with as well as a cache of 105 sexually explicit images of children.

At a hearing in February, Gaunt pleaded guilty to five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of attempting to incite a child in engaging in sexual activity, one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent images of a child, three counts of possession of indecent images of a child and one count of attempting to distribute an indecent photo of a child.

Judge Moss acknowledged that the offences did cross the custody threshold but admitted he was also considering options to sentence Gaunt in the community.

He said: “It’s a serious matter for a 20-year-old to engage an 11-year-old in sexual matters.

“I’m concerned to ensure that Jason Gaunt doesn’t do any more harm in the future but I do require more input.

“He has committed a very serious offence that would and probably should result in a custodial sentence. I am not shutting the door on that but I am not contented with the nuts and bolts of this.”

In addition to the community order Gaunt must adhere to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that prevents him working with young boys or contacting them either in person or via the internet.

Following the proceedings, Detective Constable Jon Merry of the POLIT team said: “Gaunt used his position as a children’s entertainer to meet young boys and become familiar with them before then contacting them using Facebook and other sites such as MSN messenger.

“That contact would soon progress to sexually explicit conversations and then to Gaunt performing sexual acts in front of his webcam while encouraging the boys to do the same.

“This case should serve as a warning to teenagers and their parents that people like Gaunt will use social networking sites and chat rooms to groom young people for sexual purposes.”