19 years in jail for paedophile (From Echo)

19 years in jail for paedophile

8:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Castle Point

A PREDATORY paedophile has been jailed for 19 years after he attacked three youngsters over 30 years.

Tony White, 50, of Wisteria Court, in Rayleigh Road, Thundersley, abused children as young as four years old.

He carried out the assaults on two boys and a girl between 1977 and 2008.

White, who worked as a plumber, was convicted of 15 charges of indecent assault, two charges of rape of a child under 13 and one of sexual activity with a child aged under 13.

Judge Barbara Mensah said he had blighted the lives of his victims.

She said: “You come across as cold, calculating, manipulative, devious and dishonest.

“The offences went on for a very long number of years. You groomed these young people. The Victim Impact Statements make clear you blighted their childhoods. One said he lost his childhood.

“It is quite clear you are a predatory paedophile who manipulated and groomed your young victims.”

She praised the “tremendous courage” of the victims in coming forward to report the attacks, which happened in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

They were aged between four and 18 when they were abused, but are all now adults.

Defending, Philip Misner said White continued to deny his guilt.

He said that since being held in prison White had been helping other prisoners who could not read or write.

White was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life. A sexual offences prevention order was also made which bans him from contacting his victims and having any contact with anyone aged under 18.

The sentence was greeted with applause from the public gallery at Luton Crown Court as White was led down to the cells.