September 2010

Child abuser is sentenced

A 40-YEAR-OLD paedophile has been sentenced for sexually abusing two children and possessing indecent images.

Lee Martin Earl, of Hopyard Close, Gilmorton, Leicester, abused two 14-year-olds and had more than 500 indecent images of children on his computer.

He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and two counts of possessing indecent images on a computer after a trial at Leicester Crown Court in July, during which his two victims gave evidence of the abuse he had subjected them to.

He was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court yesterday.

One of the victims, who is now 17, said: “As a result of this assault my life has been affected significantly.

“This has taken away my innocence, I used to take people as I found them but now I keep my guard up.”

At yesterday’s hearing, Earl was sentenced to a three-year community order, during which he will complete 150 hours community pay-back, attend a sex offender’s rehabilitation course and attend probation service appointments. He was also issued with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which will prevent him having contact with anyone under 17 without supervision.

The order also bars him from working with children for the rest of his life.

The court also ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

Leicestershire police said yesterday that Earl sexually assaulted his first victim, then aged 14, in June 2007. His second victim, also 14, was assaulted twice between September 2007 and October 2008.

Detective Constable Sophie Stevens, who led the investigation, praised the victims for giving evidence. She said: “I would like to pay tribute to the victims who have shown immense bravery. Their courage helped secure a conviction.”