A bonfire night reveller accused of sexually abusi

A bonfire night reveller accused of sexually abusing a boy while his parents were distracted has been cleared of the charge.

Perry Desmond , 25, was said to have grabbed the five-year-old by the waist and bounced him up and down on his lap, refusing to let him go.

But jobless Desmond denied the allegation and claimed he only had a play fight with the lad’s older brother.

The jury of six men and six women took an hour to clear Desmond of indecent assault at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Desmond grinned in the dock as he was acquitted.

The court heard how the boy’s parents took him to the Tollington Arms in Hornsey Road, Holloway, to watch nearby fireworks on November 5 last year.

Chubby Desmond introduced himself to the family and began play fighting with the children.

He said he was always in sight of the parents and never put the boy on his lap.

The boy’s father accused Desmond of assaulting his son and chased him from the pub, the court heard.

A fight broke out and the police were called.

As he was being arrested Desmond protested ‘I’m not a f****** nonse’.

He then handed a written statement to police claiming he did not place the child on his knee.

Susan Meek, defending, had told the jury in its closing speech: ‘This boy’s father is probably the product of our hysterical society, fuelled by high profile child abuse cases in tabloid newspapers.

‘Not everyone is a pedophile and not everyone is looking at your children in that way.

‘Do you really consider that Mr Desmond acted with indecent intent?

‘He is not going to win any beauty contests and he is probably not the sharpest tool in the draw.

‘The humiliation of having to stand here in front of you and be called a pervert.

‘But there is nothing suspicious here, nothing indecent going on here.

‘

Desmond, of Isledon Road, Islington, had denied one charge of indecent assault.

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