Everyday thousands of children are being sexually abused. You can stop the abuse of at least one child by simply praying. You can possibly stop the abuse of thousands of children by forwarding the link in First Time Visitor? by email, Twitter or Facebook to every Christian you know. Save a child or lots of children!!!! Do Something, please!

3:15 PM prayer in brief:
Pray for God to stop 1 child from being molested today.
Pray for God to stop 1 child molestation happening now.
Pray for God to rescue 1 child from sexual slavery.
Pray for God to save 1 girl from genital circumcision.
Pray for God to stop 1 girl from becoming a child-bride.
If you have the faith pray for 100 children rather than one.
Give Thanks. There is more to this prayer here

Please note: All my writings and comments appear in bold italics in this colour

Friday, 4 July 2014

Rolf Harris Jailed for Five Years and Nine Months for Child Sex Abuse

Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has been jailed for nearly six years for 12 indecent assaults against four girls - including one aged just seven or eight.

Mr Justice Sweeney said Harris, 84, had taken advantage of his celebrity status and had shown "no remorse".

The sentence of five years and nine months has already been referred to the Attorney General's Office under the "unduly lenient sentence scheme". This, I presume, will trigger a review of Harris' sentence.

One victim said the abuse had taken away her "childhood innocence".

Harris, who was found guilty of offences that took place between 1968 and 1986, was told by the judge he had "no-one to blame but himself".

He displayed no emotion and stared straight ahead as he was jailed.
A court drawing of Rolf Harris The BBC's David Sillito said
 Harris was "staring ahead" during the court hearing
Before Harris was sentenced, prosecutors said he would not stand trial over allegations he had downloaded sexual images of children.

They had claimed Harris had indecent images of children, as part of a larger collection of adult pornography, but decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute him. Really? Why not?

During sentencing, the judge said Harris "clearly got a thrill from committing some of these offences" against the four girls.

As well as the girl who was aged seven or eight, Harris's victims were two young teenagers and a childhood friend of his daughter Bindi. He abused his daughter's friend between the ages of 13 and 19.
Harris's daughter Bindi, centre, was in court as her father was sentenced
The judge said the assaults resulted in her suffering panic attacks, anxiety and led to her becoming an alcoholic, saying she had "suffered severe psychological harm".

Speaking after sentencing, she said the jail term was "immaterial" but the verdict was "what I wanted, what I went to court for".

She added: "I do hope that women will come forward now, celebrity or not."

The sentences broken down are:
Count 1: Assaulting an autograph-hunter, who was aged seven or eight, in the late 1960s - Nine months
Count 2: Assaulting a teenage waitress in the 1970s - Six months
Count 3: Assaulting a childhood friend of Harris's daughter between the ages of 13 and 19 - 15 months
Count 4: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 5: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 6: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 7: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 8: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 9: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 10: Assaulting Australian woman Tonya Lee, who was 15, in 1986 - Nine months
Count 11: Same victim as count 10 - Nine months
Count 12: Same victim as count 10 - 12 months
Some of the sentences will be served at the same time, making a total of five years and nine months.

Harris is likely to serve half of the sentence in prison and was told he would not have to pay compensation to his victims. However, the judge said he could have to pay the costs of the prosecution.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney General's Office did not say who had referred the sentence as being "unduly lenient" but said it "only takes one person to trigger the process".

The sentence must be considered within 28 days for possible referral to the Court of Appeal, the spokeswoman added.

Harris was prosecuted based on the law at the time of his offences, when the maximum sentence for indecent assault was two years in prison, or five years for victims under 13.

Two of his victims were in court for the sentencing, which saw members of the press and public fill the public gallery and watch from an overspill court via a video feed.

Harris's daughter Bindi was with him in court but his wife Alwen, who has been consistently present throughout the trial, did not attend.

In court
Jane Peel, BBC News correspondent

The queue outside court two began to form at 07:45 BST - more than two hours before the hearing was due to begin.

Rolf Harris had started his final journey to Southwark in a boat from his house on the Thames, in Bray, Berkshire, but he arrived as usual in a car.

His daughter Bindi was with him but there was no sign of his frail wife, Alwen.

Perhaps in contrast to his mood, he wore a jazzy, multi-coloured tie and a light grey suit.

He had brought with him a similarly bright suitcase with a stripy design. Harris knew he would be going to prison. The only question was for how long.

He had been allowed to stay seated, but was told to stand as Mr Justice Sweeney announced that he would be jailed for five years and nine months.

There was no visible reaction from him or his relatives who were in court as he was led to the cells by two dock security officers.

Peter Watt, of the NSPCC, said: "It sends a message that no-one is untouchable and justice can come at any time."

Alan Collins, of law firm Slater and Gordon, told the BBC his firm had been contacted in "recent days" by people making new allegations against Harris.

He said the calls had come from both the UK and overseas, and lawyers would meet the complainants in the coming days.

'Haunted'

Earlier, the court heard impact statements from the four victims, including from the childhood friend of Harris's daughter.

Reading out the statement, prosecutor Esther Schutzer-Weissman said the abuse had "haunted" the victim and left her feeling "dirty, grubby and disgusting".

The statement from the victim who had been seven or eight said the abuse had taken away her "childhood innocence".

Harris indecently assaulted a waitress at a charity event in Cambridge when she was aged 13 or 14, who said the star had "treated me like a toy".

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