A care worker raped and molested a dozen youngster

A care worker raped and molested a dozen youngsters at two childrens’ homes in a ‘cynical and calculated catalogue of abuse’ spanning twenty years, the Old Bailey heard today (Tuesday).

William Starling, 74, allegedly preyed on 10 girls and two boys as young as five between 1965 and 1984 and threatened them into silence.

The pervert began many of his assaults on young girls while they sat on his knee watching television, it was claimed.

But later his conduct escalated into degrading acts of buggery and rape in the childrens’ beds, family homes and his own homes in Chadwell Heath, Essex, and Bethnal Green, east London.

He molested and raped four members of the same family throughout this period and on one occasion he was caught by his wife having sex with a 13-year-old girl in a garage.

Starling denies three counts of rape, four of buggery, 17 of indecent assault and indecency with a child over a twenty year period.

Seven girls and two boys were targeted at St Leonards’ Childrens Home in Hornchurch, Essex and two girls were residents at The Greensteads in Basildon.

Another girl became Starling’s victim at her own home, it was claimed.

Starling, who has a son, first helped coach football at St Leonards while his wife worked as a domestic.

After relieving the residential staff on several occasions he joined his wife as a Deputy House parent in May 1969.

By that time he had already abused his first two victims when they were only five and six years old.

The girls were stepsisters.

Miss Sally Howes, prosecuting, said Starling was in charge of a ‘cottage’ which housed up to thirty children in dormitories and single cubicles.

In his time there he oversaw both Forbes and Wallis cottage.

‘The first complainant remembers the sexual abuse by the defendant starting within a couple of weeks of arriving at the home.

‘This happened regularly every week throughout her stay at St Leonard’s until she left in 1974 aged 12 to 13 years old.

‘The abuse did not stop with her leaving as the defendant visited the family at home.

‘

He would give money to the parents to go to the pub or go shopping while he continued to abuse the children, she said.

‘Starling told the second girl it was just a game and if she said anything no one would believe her because she was a problem child.

‘

Threats to kill one boy, take away children from their mother and deprive them of family visits were used to keep his victims quiet, alleged Miss Howes.

He told one boy he would be sent back to St Andrew’s Special School where he faced sedation and incarceration, the jury heard.

Ms Howes said: ‘Sometimes he would give one girl money depending on what he did, from three or five pounds for indecent assault to as much as ten pounds for rape.

‘

Starling allegedly preyed on difficult children who had suffered some sort of abuse during their short lives.

‘They all had difficulties of one sort or another.

Some had already been the victims of sexual abuse, others were emotionally damaged by either cruel, uncaring parents or parents who were simply unable to cope with the responsibility of bringing up their own children.

‘These were the children who would hardly have any visits from family or friends, children who were ‘problem kids’ who nobody listened to and nobody wanted.

‘They were targeted by the defendant to be used for his own sexual gratification only to be discarded as he moved on to the next vulnerable and unwanted child to catch his eye.

‘As the children get older they are no longer attractive to the defendant so he moves on to younger pastures.

‘

Starling and his wife left St Leonards when it closed in April 1984 and he became officer in charge to The Greensteads, still under the responsibility of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

He retired in 1990 and was questioned the next year following a complaint from a girl he abused at Greensteads at the age of 11.

The Crown Prosecution decided not to take up the case.

But a complaint by a former resident of St Leonards led to the beginning of police Operation Mapperton and letters were sent to other children who had lived there.

Starling was arrested on October 27, 1999, during his work at Bowlers Croft Industrial Estate in Basildon.

He denies all 25 allegations against him and claims they have all been invented by the children involved in the case.

Starling of Falbere, School Lane, Surlingham, Norfolk, denied three counts of rape, four of buggery, 17 of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

The first girl was allegedly indecently assaulted twice between 1965 and 1976.

A second girl was allegedly indecently assaulted between 1968 and 1972 and raped twice between 1972 and 1976.

Another was indecently assaulted between 1975 and 1978.

A boy was allegedly buggered twice and indecently assaulted between 1977 and 1984.

A second boy was indecently assaulted and buggered between 1969 and 1973.

A fourth girl under the age of 16 was indecently assaulted between 1970 and 1971, a fifth twice between 1971 and 1973, a sixth three times between 1973 and 1982 and a seventh three times between 1974 and 1978.

Starling allegedly committed indecency with a girl and indecently assaulted her between 1977 and 1983.

The ninth girl was indecently assaulted and buggered between 1984 and 1986.

The final victim was indecently assaulted and raped between 1983 and 1987.

The trial continues.

ends