August 2008

Grandfather guilty of sexual assault on young girl

A grandfather has been jailed for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

Roy Fido, 65, of Acre Close, St Leonards, pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual assault against a child under 13.

Brighton Crown Court was told Fido intentionally touched the girl and the touching was sexual.

Standing in court and with a suitcase packed with belongings in anticipation of his punishment, Fido spoke only to confirm his name.

The incidents happened from July 31 to September 7 last year in St Leonards.

After he has served his time in prison he will have to sign the sexual offenders’ register for ten years.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from making contact with any child aged under 16 by either talking with them, by electronic means or in any other way unless supervised by an adult.

He is also banned from working with children under 16 and cannot have any photographs of anyone under 16 without their parents’ permission.

Fido will also have to ask for his children’s permission before he is allowed to visit his grandchildren.

Judge Paul Tain said Fido’s family had asked for the case to be adjourned while an investigation into whether there was some psychological reason for his actions, such as dementia, was undertaken but that no specific medical basis was found.

The court was also told Fido was sorry for what he had done and he welcomed the prospect of psychological treatment both in prison and once released.

Judge Tain was also told Fido was fully aware the best thing for him was to not be around children.

Sentencing Fido to two years in prison for each of the three counts, to run concurrently, Judge Tain told him his offences were serious because he had chosen to do them and had done so on a number of occasions.

He said: “The aggravating feature of this case is the fact that there is more than one matter to be considered.”

It had been suggested Fido was a former football coach.

Yesterday the Sussex FA said it had no record of him on its books but would instigate an investigation.