Feb 2004

Man ‘filmed his assaults on children’

Jeffery

A church volunteer carried out a string of attacks on two young boys he befriended through an adventure week a court heard.

Colin Ian Jeffery appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Monday (February 9th) accused of committing five indecent assaults in the 1980s.

The court was told that Jeffery, of Newcastle Rise, Caterham, got to know his victims; then aged about 12 and 13, through St Mary’s Church in Bletchingley.

The 61-year old helped out during services and volunteered to help run the summer camp. His first alleged victim, now 34 and a senior police officer outside Surrey, told the court Jeffery often filmed the children using his cine camera at various church events.

He said Jeffery assaulted him in a room in the church hall after telling him and another boy that he “wanted to make an experiment” with them.

He said he was fondled as he stood on a chair as his friend waited outside. He said “That went on for about one-and-a-half minutes. Physically I froze. Mentally I was shocked. I just stood there wanting it to stop. I didn’t really know what to do. Then he stopped and walked back to the camera and I clearly remember him saying ‘Oh no, it didn’t record’.”

The officer told the jury he was extremely wary of Jeffery afterwards and made sure he was never alone with him again.

He did not tell anyone for 22 years until he was working as a policeman on the management of sex offenders within the community and he realised that it had probably not just happened to him.

The court had earlier heard that Jeffery had assaulted him at an adventure camp, had filmed him and assaulted him on a walk on the South Downs and in Guildford Cathedral.

Jeffery allegedly assaulted his second victim in a house at St Mary’s church after filming him with another boy.

The court heard the assault stopped after half an hour when the defendant had a problem with his camera.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1978 and 1983.

The jury heard the first victim went to police in 2002 and as a result it was discovered the second boy had an allegation to make. They did not know each other and Jeffery denied all the charges.

He was sentenced in March 2004 to a community rehabilitation order for 2 years, with a condition not to work with children in the future. He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 5 years.

In 2005, Jeffery appealed his conviction. His appeal to the conviction was dismissed by the courts.