A father who confessed to molesting his stepdaught

A father who confessed to molesting his stepdaughter pleaded
with a judge to be allowed to walk free.

But the 52-year-old’s plaintive request was rejected by
Judge Bernard Charles QC who said he had ‘agonised’ over what
sentence to pass.

Confidential reports suggested that the shop manager could
be helped by specialist therapy and a lengthy probation order.

The indecent assaults began after the man’s wife ‘abandoned’
the Norwood family.

Mr X was left to look after the little girl, his adopted
daughter and her younger brother, his natural son, Inner London
Crown Court had heard.

The strain of holding down a full-time job and caring for
the family proved too much and Mr X ‘cracked up.

‘
He began drinking heavily and turned to the little girl, then
aged about 10 or 11, as a substitute wife.

‘He was using this young girl as if she was his equal, because
of a lack of physical relationship with a woman and adult,’ remarked
Judge Charles.

The indecent assaults came to light after the girl ran away,
because of a ‘totally unconnected matter,’ in April this year.

She and her brother are now living with their mother, the
court was told.

The indecency, which began after the child took to climbing
into her father’s bed at night to watch a portable TV, had ended
over a year before they came to light.

Mr X had put an end to the indecency, which began over three
years after his wife walked out, of his own volition.

‘There was a period when he was a danger to this child, but
that changed and he changed that himself,’ said Mr John Burton
defending.

When the child first disclosed what had happened to her
she thought the indecency ‘was perfectly normal behaviour.

‘
Mr Burton urged that the defendant be placed on probation
with a condition that he received treatment from a psychiatrist
who had assessed him.

‘He has shown genuine remorse.

He has lost both his
children.

‘
At the time of the offences he was suffering ‘abject
loneliness,’ said counsel.

Adding that the reports stated Mr X was not a danger to
children.

‘He realises he has problems and needs help.

‘
But the judge said the offences were ‘too serious’ for
a non-custodial sentence and jailed Mr X for 12 months.

‘The most potent mitigating factor in this case is that you
discontinued this abuse over a year before the girl made her
statement.

‘You knew you were responsible for that child and that meant
to protect her and bring her up in a healthy home.

The way you
treated her was anything but healthy.

‘I make allowances that you took to alcohol, were devastated
(by your wife leaving) and in abject loneliness.

‘I can well imagine the torment you went through, but at the
same time you abused that child and treated her as if she was an
adult – a person who could give you the comforts, emotional, physical
sexual you desired.

‘It was a terrible abuse.

‘
After sentence was passed Mr X asked to speak.

He then implored the judge to give him ‘a chance’ to get help.

He said his ‘pride’ had stopped him from seeking help to look
after his children when his wife walked out.

‘What happened to me during that time I don’t understand.

‘What you are doing is not going to help me.

What I need
and my children need is for me to be able to get back to the person
I was.

‘I did a bloody good job 90 per cent of the time, but I
cracked.

I need psychological help.

Sending me away will crucify
me.

It will take my job, my house, my life.

I can’t help anybody
then.

‘I beg the court to reconsider.

That’s the only chance I
have in life.

Without help my children will never know what I
really feel for them.

I just need that one little chance to get
it all back together again.

‘
Judge Charles said he had ‘agonised’ over his decision,
but in the circumstances ‘did not think he could have avoided’
jailing him.

Mr X, a man of previous good character, pleaded guilty to
five charges of indecent assault committed between January 1988 and
April 1992.

ENDS