May 2016

Paedophile who ‘breached order many times’ banned from travelling abroad to Christian convention

A paedophile described as a “prolific predatory sex offender” has been banned from travelling abroad to a Christian convention.

Born again Christian, Keith Royce Jamieson, 65, had bought a plane ticket to Johannesburg expecting to attend the event as part of his church group but was given a sexual harm prevention order stopping him from doing so.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that Jamieson was a serious sexual offender who had offences dating back to 1964 and had been imprisoned for five years in Australia in 1996 after nine indecent assaults against nine children.

He was deported back to England in 2011 and was made subject of a sexual offences prevention order and has been monitored regularly by the police ever since.

Jim Langley, prosecuting on behalf of Cleveland Police told the court that he notified the police he wanted to travel to South Africa on March 20 for 11 days with a pastor from his church, the Praise Christian Centre International on Brentnall Street.

The order prohibited Jamieson, of Percy Street, Gresham, Middlesbrough , from being around children but allowed him to travel abroad as long as he gave seven days notice to the police.

Mr Langley said that Jamieson breached his order many times by interacting with children from his church group and even took two children to the Sunderland Airshow last year without notifying social services.

He added: “It would be an understatement to say that the defendant is a prolific predatory sex offender, a sexual harm prevention order will prevent him from travelling abroad and putting children in another country at risk.”

Jamieson, giving evidence, accepted his previous convictions and said that he was “nowhere near as bad” as he used to be.

He added that he took the two children to the airshow with their mother who knew about his past convictions and that notifying social services about it had “slipped his mind.”

He said of his previous convictions: “I never used to care about anyone but myself but now I see everyone as Gods children.”

Mr Langley added: “Letting the defendant go to South Africa would be like leaving Dracula in charge of a blood bank , giving him an opportunity, and that opportunity has to be minimized.”

Imposing the sexual harm prevention order for five years, chair of the bench, Frances Sugden said: “We are concerned (Jamieson) that you have not always followed the requirements of the orders emplaced.

“Therefore, we have no hesitation in making the sexual harm prevention order for five years with immediate effect.”