January 2014

Cirencester paedophile Thomas Jay back in jail after starting relationship with woman with three young daughters

A CONVICTED paedophile is back behind bars after starting a relationship with a mum of three young girls and hiding his sordid past from her.

Thomas Jay, of Thomas Street in Cirencester, also formed friendships with other women who had daughters, and downloaded indecent images of children.

The 34-year-old became trusted by the mums and sometimes cuddled up to their daughters while watching TV with them in their homes, the court heard.

Jay, formerly of Moreton-in-Marsh, was jailed for two years at Gloucester Crown Court today after admitting 14 offences of breaching a sexual offences prevention order and seven of making indecent images of children.

The paedophile changed his surname from Asquith after being given a two-year prison term in 2010 for sex offences. On Tuesday, Judge Jamie Tabor QC warned Jay that if he commits similar offences in the future he risks being locked up for life.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court that Jay struck up a relationship in April 2013 with a mum who had daughters aged 10, 12, and 14. He did not tell her of his previous child sex convictions or his sexual offences prevention order, which bars him from having contact with or being in the company of children.

“He did not simply breach the order in connection with these three girls but also with two other families,” Mr Kesner said. “One was a lady with a 12-year-old daughter and another was a lady who was a friend and neighbour who also had a daughter, aged 14.”

In February last year, police and social services went to the home of the mum-of-three and told her about Jay’s past and the prevention order.

But when she confronted Jay he lied and claimed the police had made a mistake, and that he had paperwork to prove his innocence.

Although he never produced any such documents, she believed his lies and continued the relationship with him.

Later, he told one of the other women he had befriended that her 14-year-old daughter was “flirting with him” and had even offered him oral sex, the court heard.

The mum told police: “When he told me this he was gleaming like a loved up puppy dog.”

Mr Kesner said: “This lady had no idea of his past at the time and now feels sickened and haunted by the comments he made.”

When he was arrested on September 7 last year, police found a USB device plugged into his TV which contained 58 indecent images classed as category A – the most horrific – as well as 35 category B and 282 category C.

Jay’s three previous convictions were all of a sexual nature and in 2010 he was convicted of inciting a girl under 13 into sexual activity, as well as for possessing indecent images, said Mr Kesner.

Dermot Clarke, defending Jay, said he denied saying to one mum that her daughter had offered him oral sex.

Jay also denied cuddling up to one of the girls and he particularly disputed the allegation he had befriended the mums so he could get close to their daughters, Mr Clarke said.

He added that Jay had undergone a sex offender course after his last conviction and now wanted to form a proper relationship with an adult woman but it was difficult to find any in his age group who did not have children.

Mr Clarke said Jay still looked at indecent images of children when he was tired, but there was no suggestion he had attempted to commit any offences against the young girls he had met.

However, the judge told Jay: “You have an enduring and dangerous desire to inveigle yourself into the trust of young people and then to sexually exploit them.”

December 2014

Paedophile back behind bars after staying overnight in house with children in Cirencester

A PAEDOPHILE is back behind bars after flouting a court order by staying overnight in a Cirencester house where children were present.

In 2010, Thomas Asquith was jailed for two years after he sent an 11-year-old girl from Bourton-on-the-Water 37 text messages in one day and encouraged her to text him a picture of herself naked.

When he was arrested police found indecent images of children on his computer.

Now known as Thomas Jay, the 34-year-old was back before Gloucester Crown Court recently for breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order he was given in 2010 by staying in a house in The Green, Cirencester, where children under 17 were present.

Jay, who previously lived in Moreton-in-Marsh but now has an address in Thomas Street in Cirencester, also committed a new offence of possessing indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to five offences of breaching the order by staying in a house in The Green, Cirencester, where children were present between August 15 and September 8 this year.

He also admitted two charges of failing to comply with the requirements of the order by not informing police that he was staying at an address where children were present.

During the hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on November 28, Judge William Hart was told that Jay had pleaded guilty to four other offences of breaching the order and one of possession of indecent images of children just two days earlier.

During the hearing on November 28, prosecutor Dermot Clarke asked for a pre-sentence report on Jay before he was sentenced for all the offences, to which Judge Hart agreed.

The judge remanded Jay in custody until January 7, telling him: “It seems to me that a custodial sentence is inevitable – I expect you share that view.”

In 2010, Jay admitted three offences of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity and six of possessing indecent images of children.

At the time, Judge Hart said he was “a paedophile and a danger to children”.

As well as the jail term and order, the judge banned Jay from working with children for life and told him to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

July 2010

Moreton paedophile jailed for grooming 11-year-old to engage in sexual activity

A MARRIED man from Moreton has been jailed for two years after admitting three offences of causing an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

Thomas Asquith, 30, a salesman of Old Town, Moreton, had sent the girl 37 sexually explicit texts in one day and she had texted him a picture of herself naked, Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday.

When Asquith was arrested police found other child porn on his computer, said Lisa Hennessy, prosecuting.

Asquith was jailed for two years after he admitted three offences of causing the girl to engage in sexual activity and six of possessing indecent images of children.

Judge William Hart said he was in no doubt that Asquith was “a paedophile and a danger to children”.

A sexual offences prevention order was imposed on Asquith, he was banned him from working with children for life and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register.

Asquith was caught after the 11-year-old’s older sister checked the victim’s phone.

Mrs Hennessy said when the 11-year-old, who lived in Bourton and whose family knew the defendant, was interviewed by police she said she had been in webcam communication with Asquith and he had been asking her to lift up her top and expose her breasts.

When Asquith was arrested he made a full admission, saying he felt he had “potentially overstepped the mark”.

Asquith’s computer was seized and 54 indecent videos and pictures were found.

Nicola Berryman, defending, said there had been no physical contact between Asquith and the girl.

“He has always said he is very, very sorry about what happened,” Mrs Berryman said. “He has never, ever tried to blame this 11- year-old girl for what happened. He accepts that as an adult he is completely and utterly culpable.”

She urged the court to pass a non-custodial sentence that would allow Asquith, who had been convicted in 2004 for possessing indecent images, to receive treatment for his sexual deviancy.