15 sex offenders in N. Ireland to have their convictions rescinded
due to UK govt error
Fifteen sex offenders in Northern Ireland will have their convictions rescinded due to a clerical error in drafting new legislation covering sex crimes which no one noticed for eight years.
The issue arose following a change in the law in 2009 which unintentionally removed certain sexual offences from the caseload of the Magistrates' Court, meaning they could only be handled in the Crown Court.
Therefore, the Magistrates' Court had no power to try the 15 cases which were heard between 2009 and 2017 and included 17 victims, 11 of whom were children at the time of the offenses.
Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) made the grim announcement Wednesday, stating that the mistake was made before devolution of justice powers to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2010, meaning the error came on the UK government’s watch.
One of the defendants was jailed while the remainder were handed suspended sentences.
All of the convictions were found to be invalid following review and have now been rescinded, while authorities try to determine whether fresh prosecutions will be brought against the 15 defendants involved.
Also, one of the defendants will now be removed from the Sex Offenders' Register.
So, this is not a big deal since none of the paedos were in prison, and apparently, their crimes were not too harmful since only one of the 15 was jailed, and only one was put on the Sex Offender's Registry. I wonder if the 17 victims would agree with that?
Retrial could be held over the paedo's heads as a threat if they threaten to sue.
The assistant director with the PPS, Ciaran McQuillan, said he was “truly sorry to have to inform all affected by this unforeseen and undetected error in the law.”
Today's Pakistani Horror Story:
Pakistan: Four-year-old raped in KPK's Mansehra city, students protest
Police had raided the alleged assaulter's home but he managed to escape
Published: September 24, 2020
Falah Gulzar, Social Media Reporter
A four-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted in Pakistan’s Mansehra city on September 21 and now, activists and school students are taking to the streets to protest against violence against women in the country.
The alleged assaulter is a cleric
Local media outlets reported that according to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged, the suspect, who is said to be the father of several children, tricked the young victim, took her to a field and sexually assaulted the child. According to social media posts, the alleged assaulter is a cleric.
Later, the locals spotted the girl bleeding and informed the police, who shifted her to a local hospital. She was later taken to Ayub Medical Complex Hospital in Abbottabad city in critical condition.
The incident occurred in the Pakhwal area of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani news outlets reported that according to police sources, the medical examination of the victim confirmed the sexual assault.
Reportedly, when police raided the residence of the 28-year-old accused, his family members and the locals resisted the arrest, enabling the alleged assaulter to escape.
Later, another police unit led by the district police officer rushed to the scene and started a search operation, but it was to no avail.
Babar Saleem Swati, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, consoled the victim’s family and assured them that the accused would be arrested.
According to latest news reports, the suspect’s brother told local media that his family had handed over his brother to the police. “If my brother is involved in such a heinous crime, we will not back him on any platform. Let the court decide his fate,” he was quoted as saying.
Wow! If that is accurate, it may indicate the beginning of a shift in attitudes. On the other hand, with the perpetrator being a cleric, it seems there is a very long way to go to change hearts and attitudes in this God-forsaken country.
Today's Indian Horror Stories:
India: Teenage rape victim delivers baby inside police station
16-year-old victim had gone to register a complaint case when she went into labour
Published: September 24, 2020
Lata Rani, Correspondent, Gulf News
Patna: A teenage rape victim has given birth to a baby inside the office of a senior police official in Bihar. She had gone there to register a complaint case against the rapist after failing to get justice from the local village court. The incident took place in Kishanganj district, bringing much embarrassment to the local authorities.
Witnesses said the nine-month pregnant 16-year-old victim was slowly climbing up to the steps leading to the office of Kishanganj district superintendent of police on Tuesday evening when she suddenly developed labour pains and delivered a baby right on the steps.
As the news spread, the female police officers formed a wall using their clothing to afford her some privacy and took care of the baby. An ambulance was called and the mother and baby were rushed to the local government hospital and doctors say both are doing fine.
The police have registered a case on the basis of the victim’s complaint and are conducting raids to arrest the absconding rapist. “I was present in the office when the rape victim delivered the baby. I have ordered the police to register a case against the accused as well as the local village court members who tried to hush up the case. None will be spared,” local district superintendent of police Kumar Ashish said.
Another story where a change in attitude in a hopeless country might be signalled by going after the village court. We can always hope and pray.
The police official said the entire family of the accused was absconding but they would be caught very soon. “Had the victim reported the matter earlier, the action would already have been taken,” the official said.
Local youth
The victim, a resident of Pahar Katta, had gone out to tend cattle some 10 months back when a local youth identified as Munna Kumar caught hold of her at an isolated place and allegedly raped her. According to the victim, the accused raped her more frequently on the pretext of marrying her.
Reports said when the victim became pregnant she insisted the youth to marry her but he flatly refused. Left with no option, the victim brought the matter to the notice of the village court to seek justice. Later, the village court met as many as five times but justice eluded her. Eventually, she rushed to the SP office to seek justice.
At least three rape victims have approached the courts to seek permission to abort the foetuses.
Last year, a 13-year-old rape victim from Kaimur district approached the Bihar State Women Commission to seek its permission to terminate her three-month pregnancy.
In 2018, a local court in Bihar had asked the hospital authorities to abort a 24-week-old fetus of a rape victim to enable her lead a dignified life. The Patna High Court issued the order after the 17-year-old victim prayed to the court to allow her terminate her “unwanted” pregnancy.
The court, however, refused to grant permission for abortion to an HIV positive rape victim abandoned by her family since she was 26-week pregnant. Eventually she delivered a healthy baby girl at a government hospital in Patna in August 2017.
The woman, a resident of Patna, had been residing on the streets of the state capital surviving on meager arms given by passersbys when she became pregnant after being raped. She was abandoned by her husband some 12 years back after a family dispute, reports said.
Bihar has been flooded with rape cases despite all the tall talks by the state government to establish a rule of law in the state. According to a report compiled by the state police department, a total of 11,759 rape cases were reported in the past 10 years while in the past five years, altogether 6,848 rape cases were reported.
This year along, as many as 825 rape cases have been reported till July, which means an average four incidents of rape are taking place every day.
And those are only the ones they know about!
India: Teenage girl battles for life in ICU after 4 men gang-rape
in Uttar Pradesh
The accused was arrested under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
under Indian Penal Code
Surabhi Sudarsan, Magazines Web Editor
Recently, the incident of alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old girl by four upper-caste men has come to light in Hathras district from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The woman belonged to a Dalit community (Dalit is a caste defined in the Indian Constitution under Article 341, listed as the Scheduled Castes). The accused also attempted to murder the woman by strangling her, which left her battling for her life at Aligarh Medical College hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for several days, reportedly.
The victim's condition is said to be stable now, but she is still being administered care in the ICU. Subsequently, police have recorded her statement on Tuesday. She stated that the accused sexually assaulted her on September 14 when she went to gather fodder for cattle.
Based on the complaint lodged by the victim's brother, police had earlier registered a case against a man, who was later identified as Sandeep, for an attempt to murder and under sections of the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Act according to the Indian Penal Code. However, after recording her statement on Tuesday, police added charges of gang-rape to the First Information Report.
Confirming the incident, Hathras district superintendent of police, Vikrant Veer said: "Another accused has been caught, and others will be arrested soon."
Why was this man, 28, killed for marrying an upper caste girl in India?
Published: September 26, 2020
Mohammad Siddique, Correspondent, Gulf News
Hyderabad: A 28-year-old man was abducted and killed for marrying a girl of upper caste in Hyderabad.
In a replay of a similar honour killing about two years ago, Hemanth Kumar, an interior designer by profession was abducted and strangled in a car by several relatives of the girl and two hired killers. Kumar had married Avanthi Reddy on June 11 and according to the police, since then her parents and others were plotting to eliminate him.
Hyberabad police, under whose limits the pair were abducted, have arrested 14 people including her father Lakshma Reddy and mother Archana. Those arrested include prime accused and Avanthi’s maternal uncle Guduru Yugender Redd, his brother Guduru Sandeep Reddy other relatives Ardham Ranjith Reddy, Ardham Rakesh Reddy, Keesari Rajitha, Yellu Santhosh Reddy, K Sandeep Reddy, Ardham Spandana and Yellu Swapna. Two suspected hired killers Shaik Pathan and Buchi Yadav were also arrested. All the accused were produced in the court and were sent to judicial custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police M Venkateshwarulu said that Hemanth and his wife were abducted from their home in TNGOs colony. Avanthi, who jumped out of the car in the outskirts while they were being taken away by the abductors, alerted the police about the incident. By the time police could trace the whereabouts of Hemanth, he was killed in the same car. His body was found dumped in bushes near Sangareddy town, about 50 kms from Hyderabad.
“Hemanth and Avanthi had known each other for 8 years as they lived in the same Chandnagar area and eloped from home on June 10 and got married next day”, police official said.
While Avanthi was from Reddy caste, Hemanth was from Vysya or Bania community.
In its remand diary the police informed the court that Avanthi’s parents along with Yugunder Reddy plotted to take revenge by killing Hemanth as they saw the inter caste marriage an insult to them. “They did not come out of their homes unable to bear the humiliation”, police said in the diary.
Astonishing pride! And now to think that their honour has been restored by murdering their son-in-law, and leaving their daughter a widow???!!! How insane is that?
It was reminiscent of a similar incident on September 15, 2018 in Miryalguda town of Telangana in which a 23 year old Dalit (lower caste) man Pranay Kumar was killed in day light for marrying an upper caste girl Amrutha. Police later arrested her father Maruthi Rao on the charges of conspiracy to kill but before court could convict him he committed suicide.
Uttar Pradesh engineer arrested for running child pornography racket
on Instagram
Published: September 26, 2020
Surabhi Sudarsan, Magazines Web Editor, Gulf News
An engineer who was allegedly running a child pornography racket online since 2019 was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, yesterday.
According to Indian media reports, the accused, identified as Neeraj Yadav, used to make money through online platforms using content that showed sexual abuse of children and child pornography. He would first advertise the content on Instagram and share the inappropriate material with customers through WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and other social media platforms after receiving payment from them.
The issue came to light when the police got a whiff of the content he was sharing on Instagram. CBI spokesperson RK Gaur told news media outlets: "Allegedly, the accused was advertising on Instagram for the sale of the offensive elements, including child pornographic material.”
The CBI filed a First Information Report and arrested him. They questioned him in detail and found out further information. The official said: "Yadav also started hosting services and different accounts over cloud storage, using different email IDs."
The official added that some more people had come under their scanner based on his testimony.
Later, an investigation team searched his residence in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, where they found his mobile phone and sent it for forensic analysis.
Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh
Paedophile who performed sex act in front of undercover cop posing as 13-year-old girl 'has two personalities'
The court heard that Steven Marchington is someone who is trying
'to suppress within him somebody else who commits these kinds of offences'
By Rebecca Day
Manchester Evening News
A paedophile who posed as a younger man online to have sexual chats with a child was caught by an undercover police officer.
Steven Marchington, of Chadderton in Oldham, thought he was speaking to a teenage girl when he performed a sex act on himself over webchat. In fact it was an undercover officer who had joined the online forum for teenagers, posing as 13-year-old 'Holly'.
He told the officer he was a 'horny guy', Manchester Crown Court heard. "She asked if he minded if she was a 13-year-old girl. The offender replied 'as long as you are ok with it", Daniel Caulder, prosecuting, told the court on Wednesday.
"In the course of the conversation, the defendant said he needed to relieve himself. He continued to talk about (performing a sex act on himself)."
He then asked 'Holly' if she wanted to chat to him on video chat on another website, which the officer refused.
On another occasion, in February 2018, the same undercover officer was approached by the defendant, again with the username 'David UK' on the same platform.
"He offered to put on his web cam. He lifted his t-shirt and started to rub his nipples. He said they were getting hard." He then performed the sex act on himself, before asking her lewd questions.
The defendant was arrested on March 4 last year.
Defending, Ronan Maguire, said: "This is offending that would have remained online. There is no evidence to the contrary. The defendant is 60-years-of age. He has held down the same job with the same employer for 44 years.
"He is someone who has within him two personalities. One as a responsible and law abiding individual for the vast majority of his life. But someone who is...having to suppress within him somebody else who commits these kinds of offences."
He said he has a 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation'.
This is not a case of dual personalities! This is a case of demonic temptation to which the man surrenders rather easily, I would guess. We are all tempted to do evil things and the more we give in to those temptations, the more evil they become. Sin is progressive!
Four-year-old boy sexually abused by visitor at Dubai shopping mall
..
Incident occurs in presence of boy’s father who immediately informed security, police
Ali Al Shouk, Senior Reporter
Dubai: A visitor to Dubai has been accused of sexually molesting a four-year-old boy in front of his parent at a shopping mall in the city.
The Dubai Court of First Instance heard this week that the 34-year-old Indian defendant first praised the Filipino child’s looks in front of his father and later held the boy and pulled down his shorts. The father said that he was standing near the mall’s gate when the defendant approached his son.
“He told me several times that I have a good looking child before holding him up in his arms. I tried to stop him but he did not bother and pulled my son’s shorts down,” the father said.
The defendant then committed a lewd act and escaped, he said. The father alerted the security guards who restrained the defendant and informed Dubai Police.
“My countryman was with me and saw the incident. It is the first time we have witnessed such an act,” he said.
During interrogation, the defendant admitted to abusing the boy. Surveillance cameras also showed the defendant hugging the boy several times before pulling down the boy’s shorts. Dubai Public Prosecution has charged the defendant with sexually abusing the child.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 21.
Three Shropshire politicians exposed as paedophiles
in Telford grooming scandal
By PHOEBE SOUTHWORTH FOR MAILONLINE
A social services chief is among three politicians exposed as paedophiles as the Telford grooming scandal continues to spiral.
Victim Lucy Lowe, 16, was murdered by her abuser who set fire to her house in 2000. The blaze also killed her sister and mother. She had been made pregnant by the same man when she was 14.
Now it has emerged that former county councillor Graham Bould groomed a 15-year-old boy in the early 1980s after meeting him at a church group. The 60-year-old is the third politician to be exposed as a convicted child sex offender in the West Midlands town.
Bould chaired Shropshire County Council's social services department from 1993 to 1998.
He admitted he became attracted to the boy he abused when they shared a sauna after a game of squash.
Bould was arrested in October 2000 and admitted two indecent assaults on the boy. He stood down after 18 years as a councillor. But he avoided a jail sentence and was handed a 12-month community rehabilitation order at Wolverhampton Crown Court in 2001.
Anglican vicar and former county councillor Rev Michael Keen, 78, assaulted the same boy, also during the 1980s. He had previously sat on the West Mercia police force's board.
Keen was jailed for 15 months in July 2001 for two indecent assaults following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The clergyman, who was ordained in 1973, no longer lives in Telford.
In a childhood diary, the boy described Keen as 'aggressive and a manipulator' and believes he colluded with Bould to stop him reporting the abuse, the Mirror report.
'I believed Bould was a friend, probably my best friend at the time, but he did not care about me. I was just an object of lust to him,' he said after Bould's conviction.
Scarred by two decades of depression, the victim broke down in the witness box during Keen's trial as he recounted his ordeal.
The third abuser, parish councillor Graham White, 75, took indecent images of a 14-year-old girl. In 2004 White admitted four counts of taking indecent photographs of a minor.
He was given a three-year rehabilitation order, ordered to complete a sex offenders programme and had his name added to the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
But it is feared Shropshire County Council and the police failed to investigate the men's behaviour.
Local MP Lucy Allan told The Mirror: 'I hope that as part of its work the inquiry will examine the culture of the council. 'We have seen in other towns, where child sexual exploitation has been prevalent, that the culture of the council led to inaction and silence over many years.'
Lucy's uncle Ed Lowe told The Mirror: 'It's mindblowing. It's disgraceful. We always wanted to know why social services didn't get involved in dealing with Lucy's abuse. 'Now we have even more questions.'
Council paperwork says social workers during the late 1990s didn't 'understand' the problem, according to The Mirror.
"Didn't understand the problem"? They were the problem! While some jurisdictions claimed they were afraid of being called racist if they went after the Pakistani perverts, the question now is, how many police or council members were actively involved in child sexual abuse. Such people would not want the issue to become an attention grabber.
All councils where Pakistani grooming (read child rape) gangs operated, should be investigated for possible child sexual abuse beyond their abysmal failure to stop the Pakistani gangs.
While Keen moved away, Bould had until recently served as the clerk of Sheriffhales Parish Council in Shropshire. Advertising himself as a community organiser and fundraiser, he was photographed three years ago with then Telford MP David Wright.
Predatory paedophile who promised to help children break into entertainment world is jailed for life in Norwich
An entertainer who abused youngsters in Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire over a period of three decades has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Victim statements read to the court were described by the judge as among the saddest he had ever heard.
Lewis appeared at Norwich Crown Court today (Thursday 24 September 2020) where he pleaded guilty to non-recent offences of rape, sexual assault and indecent assaults.
Lewis admitted nine counts of rape, 10 indecent assaults and one count of sexual assault committed against girls aged from four and 17 between 1987 and 2007.
Credit: Norfolk Police
The charges involve multiple offences against each victim and were committed in Norfolk, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and London.
Lewis, who also goes by the names Chaz, Chas, Charlie and Tony, would target his victims by setting up talent show companies, preying on young children under the guise of getting them gigs and making them famous.
The court heard he would befriend the parents of vulnerable children and make links with the likes of church and charity groups, where he knew children would be present.
This is all part of grooming. Parents first, then the children!
The investigation began in September 2017 when one of his victims went to the police to report the historic abuse and Lewis was arrested in connection with the allegations the following month.
Devices seized at his home address were found to contain indecent images of children and he was also arrested for these offences.
Lewis was later charged with four offences of making/possessing of indecent images which he pleaded guilty to and was convicted in May 2018. In October that year, he was given a 17-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
The historic allegations continued to be investigated and Lewis was later charged with multiple offences in May this year.
Lewis, of Yeomans Court, Meeting Lane, Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, was sentenced to a 22 year life term and ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years before being considered for release.
Police welcomed the sentence but pointed out Lewis's victims would have to live with the impact of his abuse for the rest of their lives.
Investigating officer,
"Lewis was a predatory paedophile who would target children’s talent shows, music festivals, church and charity groups, where he knew children would be present and have opportunity to abuse them. "Lewis’ offending spanned over three decades and we know his work in entertainment took him across the country.
Emotional victim statements were read to the court, describing how those he preyed upon had been affected in later life, some struggling with alcohol and drug misuse as well as mental health issues.
After being abused, one victim described how her relationships with boys and men have never been the same since. She said: "I felt I couldn’t be around boys or men at all, including my own brother. I couldn’t trust him. The relationship with my brother has never been the same since.”
She also described the relief of finding out Lewis was being brought to justice. "I felt I could breathe again, I didn’t have to keep looking over my shoulder anymore…. he’ll go away for a long time and can’t hurt anyone else.”
Another victim said: "He took away my innocence, my childhood and my ability to form relationships with others.”
Describing the impact of his offending, another victim said: "The long-term impact on me has been horrendous… I struggle to be able to trust anybody. Life experiences I have should have enjoyed were all tainted by what Lewis did to me.”
In another statement read out to court, one victim said:
"I don’t trust anybody, not even my own family. I’ve had nightmares for as long as I can remember. I would be chased by a shadowy figure. I would be running, screaming, but no one could hear. I don’t know how to feel about him being convicted. I do know I want him to feel fear about going to prison, even for a second, so he feels the fear that I felt.”
Sentencing Lewis, His Honour Judge Andrew Shaw said: "You have admitted the most egregious and appalling campaign of sexual abuse over 20 years. Each one of your five victims was a child you owed a duty of care to…you abused your position of trust.
"The five victim personal statements were among the saddest
and most upsetting I’ve ever heard. No underestimation
you have ruined their lives. They have suffered the
most severe psychological harm at your hands.”
Judge Andrew Shaw
Hendrika Tatam, a specialist RASSO prosecutor, said: "This case demonstrates that where there is sufficient evidence we will not shy away from prosecuting perpetrators of sexual abuse no matter how long ago the offences were committed and we worked closely with the police to ensure that he was brought to justice for his despicable conduct.
"We want every victim to have the confidence to report what happens to them to the police. The police will investigate and gather evidence, and where there is sufficient evidence, the CPS will proceed to prosecution.”
Anyone who may have been affected by anything raised in this case can contact police in their local area on 101.
The freephone NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000 is available for anyone to report or seek advice about non-recent abuse. Calls can be made anonymously.
Norfolk Sexual Assault Referral Centre, The Harbour Centre, operates a 24-hour service for victims of sexual abuse and can be contacted on 0845 456 4810.
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is the UK’s only children’s charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse and runs a Freephone confidential helpline 0808 1000 900.
Pedophile who fled US to Israel signs plea deal in rape of Israeli girl
Jimmy Julius Karow admits to multiple assaults against 7-year old girl years ago;
group says dozens of Americans have fled to Israel to evade sex assault charges
By TOI STAFF
Jimmy Julius Karow, 49, a convicted pedophile who fled to Israel from the United States to escape sex assault charges, signed a plea deal this week with the State Attorney’s Office and will be convicted of committing multiple rapes and other sexual crimes against a seven-year-old Israeli girl, according to a new report.
Prosecutors will seek a 13-15 year jail sentence.
Karow fled to Israel in 1999 after he was accused of sexually assaulting a girl in Oregon. He has an Interpol warrant for his arrest.
In 2002 Karow, now living under the name Yosef Chaim Karow, was convicted in Israel on separate sexual assault charges and served five years in prison.
In 2017 the two sisters accused him of assaulting them when they were children, between 1999 and 2001. Karow avoided arrest until 2019, when he was caught and charged with sexual crimes against the two.
According to the indictment, Karow raped and committed a number of sexual crimes against the seven-year-old girl while the two girls visited his apartment once a week over the course of almost two years.
During interrogation, Karow admitted to authorities that he was attracted to children and had stopped taking his medication that suppresses his urges.
Karow was captured through the work of Jewish Community Watch, an organization that tracks the use of Israel’s Law of Return by pedophiles to evade an arrest in their countries of origin. The law allows any Jewish person to immigrate to Israel and immediately receive citizenship.
It also puts Israeli children at immediate risk of rape and sexual assault. Israeli courts seem loathe to turn these paedophiles back to the country where they committed their crimes.
JCW told CBS News that it estimates dozens of Americans have taken advantage of the citizenship law to escape arrest for sexual assault charges.
Karow’s conviction comes on the heels of a court decision Monday that ruled in favor of extraditing Malka Leifer to Australia, where the former ultra-Orthodox girls’ high school principal faces 74 charges of child sex abuse.
In this photo from February 27, 2018, Malka Leifer is brought to a courtroom in Jerusalem.
The decision brings nearer to an end Leifer’s 12-year attempt to evade justice, which began when she fled to Israel in 2008 as accusations against her were coming to light, but can still be held up by an appeal.
Australia has been seeking the extradition of Leifer since 2014, on accusations that she sexually assaulted students under her care at a Jewish school in Melbourne.
Another example of Canada's criminal-friendly, victim-blind, Justice System; not unlike Israel's:
Convicted child molester out on bail pending appeal in Ontario
Traumatized family will refuse to participate in any re-trial
Susan Gamble
Brantford Expositor
A member of Bikers Against Child Abuse stands with some of the motorbikes used o escort a young girl to Superior Court where she testified against the former common-law partner of her mother in a sexual assault trial. BACA works to protect abused children from further abuse and support them through trial procedures. SUSAN GAMBLE
(Editor’s note: This story contains sexual details that may be disturbing to some readers.)
A Paris, Ontario man convicted last year of 10 counts of sexual crimes against a young girl and sentenced to eight years in prison is now living with his parents in Brantford after being granted a chance to appeal his conviction.
And the mother of his victim says she is furious the 31-year-old man, who was her former partner, was granted bail this week, pending that appeal.
“I don’t even know what to say or think anymore,” the woman said. “The system is a joke.”
“I can quote (my daughter) when she got the news. She said, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with since he’s free anyway.’”
The man was sentenced on four of the offences after being found guilty of touching the vagina of the girl, when she was eight, performing oral sex on her, having her perform oral sex on him, masturbating in her presence, having her masturbate and attempting to have anal sex.
In his defence, the man offered various conspiracy theories, including saying a video of his police interview had been doctored. The man also said the girl’s biological father abused her. He said the girl’s mother was “crazy” and a former felon, who tried to kill him. And he said the girl’s grandmother hated him.
In his judgment, Justice John Harper made it clear he completely believed the then-11-year-old victim. “No child of her age should be able to describe and demonstrate such deplorable acts.”
During the trial, members of the London chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse supported the girl and her family, escorting them to and from court and surrounding them in the courtroom during sentencing.
Also convicted of making sexual material available to a child for showing the girl a video on how to perform oral sex, the man continues to face a charge of possession of child pornography.
The man’s parents are acting as sureties, putting up a promise of $50,000 for their son’s release and agreeing to monitor him. He’s restricted to their house unless he’s out with one of them.
Meanwhile, the mother of his victim said the appeal process is destroying the progress she and her daughter have made since the sentencing. “(My daughter) has made amazing leaps and progress,” she said. “She’s able to be a kid again. Now we’re installing security cameras.
“Since the trial, I have felt more confident and safe but this is the biggest insult.”
The woman said if the sexual offender wins his right to a re-trial, she, her daughter and her mother have decided they will not participate in the process.
“If he gets this appeal, I’m not going to allow her to be re-victimized again. For the first trial, she had to re-live her trauma three times, be cross-examined twice and made to feel like she was lying or making things up.”
The man must surrender himself into custody the night before his appeal motion is heard in February 2021, although a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General said other dates may yet be set to deal with the case.
Convicted paedophile Milton Orkopolous facing new child sexual abuse and drug charges in NSW
By James Carmody
Former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos is facing new sexual assault and drug offences related to an investigation into his conduct in the 1990s.
The 62-year-old was released last year but was placed back into custody weeks later after violating his parole.
In June, it was revealed Orkopoulos had been charged with 15 new child sex abuse offences and he was due to face court in Newcastle next week. It is expected at that appearance on Wednesday Orkopoulos will be charged with another eight offences. Those include one count of aggravated indecent assault, three counts of aggravated sexual assault and four counts of supplying prohibited drugs.
The charges stem from an investigation by detectives from taskforce Glenwarrie, which was established to investigate historical indecent and sexual assault offences committed in the 1990s.
Orkopolous served in Parliament from 1999 to 2006 and was a Lake Macquarie councillor for four years before his arrest.
He met his victims through circumstances including Labor functions or work experience in his electoral office. Orkopolous supplied his victims with drugs including cannabis, heroin and alcohol before abusing them.
He was granted parole in early December after delays because he did not take part in a sex offender program while incarcerated.
So why was he given parole at all?
At the time, his legal representation Omar Juweinat said his life post-prison would "not be an easy one". "He'll be supervised and he'll have to make sure he's compliant in every respect."
Aww shucks! Let's forget all about justice for his many victims who are probably suffering far more than Orkopolous will even in prison, and have mercy on this unrepentant criminal.
Lake MacQuarrie, NSW
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