Four retired care home workers today (Mon) denied

Four retired care home workers today (Mon) denied waging a campaign of sexual abuse against youngsters at a south London care home.

John Moseling, 59, George Simpson, 61, Alan Essex, 59, and Anthony Galvin, 36, are said to have raped and indecently assaulted children at the Ivydale home in Peckham between 1977 and 1981.

They were accused at the Old Bailey of meting out cruelty to boys and girls aged between just seven and thirteen-years-old at the home run by Southwark Council.

George Simpson, the oldest of the four defendants, who is blind and found his way into the dock using his white stick, allegedly raped and indecently assaulted two boys when they were between the ages of seven and twelve-years-old.

Simpson, of (2) MacQueen Court, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, denied five charges of buggery and three indecent assaults.

George Moseling, of (10a) St Lawrence Court, New Romney, Kent, denied four charges of buggery, one of incitement to buggery and four charges of indecently assaulting three boys when they were aged between nine and thirteen-years-old.

Alan Essex, of (11a) Elm Avenue, New Milton, Hants, denied two charges of buggery and five charges of indecently assaulting two boys and two girls when they were between the ages of nine and thirteen-years-old.

Anthony Galvin, of (4) Sycamore Road, Hythe, Southampton, pleaded not guilty to one charge of indecency with a child and one of indecetly assaulting the same ten-year-old boy.

Judge John Rogers, QC, scheduled the five week trial to start on Monday January 8 next year.

All four men are on bail and Essex was granted leave by the judge to jet off for a summer holiday between July 25 and August 8.

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