http://t.co/EgMCCzGwVCThe soft sentence that even surprised a pervert: Judge FREES artist who sexually abused three children as young as six while they posed for his paintings
•Graham Ovenden, 70,molested young girls he used as models
•Judge said it was 'unrealistic' to assume offences were isolated incidents
•Artist's work once hung in the Tate and the Victoria and Albert museum
•Victims abused between 1972 and 1985 in London and Bodmin, Cornwall
•Ovenden refuses to apologise and said he has committed no crime
•He says he has been through 'considerable hell'
By Luke Salkeld
PUBLISHED:16:16, 4 June 2013 | UPDATED:02:33, 5 June 2013
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An internationally renowned artist who molested young girls he used as models walked free from court yesterday.
Child abuse campaigners said the suspended sentence on 70-year-old Graham Ovenden was 'outrageous’ and sent out the message that such crimes are not taken seriously.
But the judge said he had taken account of the artist’s age and his 'irreversibly tarnished reputation’.
Ovenden, whose work has been exhibited at major galleries including The Tate in London, invited girls as young as six to sit for portraits and photographs.
Free man: Shamed artist Graham Ovenden, 70, pictured arriving at Plymouth Crown Court today, escaped with a 12 month suspended sentence
He would blindfold his victims and make them wear Victorian nightwear before removing the clothing and committing indecent acts, a jury heard.
The artist was found guilty in April, but left court yesterday after he was sentenced insisting arrogantly that he had been the victim of a 'witch-hunt’ and had 'been through considerable hell’.
Asked if he thought everybody was wrong apart from him, he replied: 'Since I’m probably 20 times more intelligent than most people I think that would be a very reasonable assumption.’
His self-assessment does not match the description of him in court as 'a paedophile, a sexual abuser of children’.
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•Teacher 'raped 15-year-old pupil after reading her diary and finding out she had a crush on him'
Suggesting that he would be appealing the guilty verdict, Ovenden added: 'I am not backing down and under no circumstances am I apologising for crimes that were never committed.’
The jury chose to believe the evidence that showed Ovenden was a predatory child abuser who assaulted young girls in incidents dating back between 25 and 40 years at his former home in Hounslow, West London, as well as at his studio in Cornwall.
On his way to court yesterday the artist said Judge Graham Cottle, who could have put him behind bars, was a 'poisonous man’.
'Fallen from grace': Ovenden, 70, was placed on the Sex Offender's register for five years by the judge
But as he left court Ovenden said: 'I am quite gobsmacked and I have to thank Judge Cottle for his judgment this time. With the language he used one anticipated getting banged up.’
He denied suggestions that his victims were traumatised by what he put them through as 'complete and utter b*******’.
Judge Cottle had told Ovenden: 'You would take the children to your studio to photograph them. They had no understanding at that time what you were doing.
Shamed: At the peak of his popularity, Ovenden's paintings sold for £25,000-a-time and were displayed at London¿s Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
'There can be no doubt that at that time you had a sexual interest in children.’ But the judge then justified his decision to suspend a 12-month prison sentence for two years, saying the artist no longer posed a threat to children.
Adding that guidelines allowed for a jail term of up to five years, the judge told Plymouth Crown Court: 'I take into account your age, the age of the offences, the considerable self-inflicted punishment that comes with your convictions, your steep fall from grace and your irreversibly tarnished reputation.’
Peter Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: 'It’s an absolutely outrageous decision.
'The judiciary is sending out the message that this crime is not taken seriously.’
Ovenden, who lives on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, was convicted of six charges of indecency with a child and one allegation of indecent assault, relating to three children. He was cleared of five further charges.
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I'm lost for words, with judges like this clown there's no hope of justice being done.
- MrMesh , UK and beyond, 04/6/2013 23:29
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Who judges the judges?!
- Bunny , Halifax, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 23:27
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If these laws are coming out of the 'eu' to me it says it all about what a sick bunch of evil people they really are hiding behind a title that has nothing to do with their real agenda. Hidden in the 'treaty' signed by b-liar are laws that allow pedophiles to abuse children and even babies, what else could be going on here, we have to put 2+2 together and come up with the right answer.
- An Englishwoman , Newcastle UK-Tampa FL, 04/6/2013 23:19
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This absolutely proves what I have long suspected - some judges - and Judge Graham Cottle of Exeter in particular - are giving lenient sentences for pedophiles. This is the latest in a long line of similar cases where young kids have been sexually abused where the person convicted has got away with a soft sentence. Don't know what is behind it, but it is definitely a change that has occured. Not long ago a judge and a RN senior officer were both jailed judge for LOOKING at child sex abuse images they had downloaded on the net. Now men like this walk free. Where is the deterance value in this kind of sentence. The judge is completely barking, howling, mad. Someone should look at this judge's form and start asking whether this is Dept of Justice policy, or simply Judge's Cottle's policy.
- Mike , Kirkbymoorside, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 23:18
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Members of the elite have to have racked up body counts that need an accountant to track before they get punished.
- Ben Russell-Gough , London, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 23:15
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He got off because he was a posh bloke. Happens all the time..
- zantefan , Filey, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 23:05
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I don't understand???
- BuntyBear , Dorset UK, 04/6/2013 23:00
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Why no sentence? Disgusting.
- A person , All, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 22:57
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Only in Britain - pedophiles' paradise.
- AS , USUAL, United States, 04/6/2013 22:57
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"The problem of child sexuality is a problem of the Anglo-Saxon Christian fundamentalist". - no, the problem is that sick perverts like you get away with abuse and say it's in the name of art and, unbelievably, that their victims "loved it". So your reputation is damaged - boo hoo - how about the damage that you've done to these children.
- Sommie , Somerset, United Kingdom, 04/6/2013 22:55
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14 comments:
Paedophiles and murderers will bring about the collapse of this UK "Roman Empire" just as they brought about the collapse of the ancient Roman Empire.
It is now blatently crystal clear to the ordinary citizens of the UK that the justice and political system in this country is smashed.
its coming out now, Infowars have said the BBC knew of 152 child abuse accusations against its employees,
savile had many abuse cases against boys but the BBC hid them up saying savile was not a poof, and only recognised the girls accusations
Barbara, you do know that Lady In Red is a man? You can tell this easily as he can't even get my postcode right - and it's public.
He's one of John Ward's pet trolls.
No I didn't, thanks.
http://careandwashingofthebrain.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/its-ok-for-rabbis-to-engage-in.html
THIS IS THE OLD JEWISH LAW WHICH SAYS CHILD SEX IS OK, AS THESE PEOPLE RULE US IT IS BECOMING LAW NOW, MY FAVOURITE SOAP HOLBY CITY NOW HAS PERVERSION AS ITS STORYLINE WITH MEN ENGAGED IN HOMOSEXUAL SEX, SICKENING.
dont beleive what the press and media say about pedophilia being ok, dont believe what they say about the iraq war and W W II and especially dont believe what they say about hitler who was a good man, who brought in laws of child protection and animal protection too
carol munningham
actually thats true that boy-buggery is not a crime for the jews, as long as the child is a non jew.
read up on the laws and you will see that child sex and child dacrifice was normal.
http://ukpaedos-exposed.com/lenient-judges/judge-graham-cottle-exeter-cc/
Here is Judge Graham Cottle. He is a judge who seems to think that the abuse of children is not a serious enough crime to warrant a custodial sentence. He fails to understand the long lasting impact these evil offences have on the young and vulnerable child survivors. The sentences are quite simply a insult to the victims involved.
2003 - A PAEDOPHILE school bus driver who assaulted three young girls avoided jail yesterday. Paul Bartlett was on the school run despite having under-age sex with a 14-year-old and being on the sex offenders’ register. He then targeted the three girls aged 11 and 12. But judge Graham Cottle refused to jail Bartlett after a jury in Exeter found him guilty of indecent assault. He said Bartlett, 36, of Paignton, Devon, should undergo a sex offenders’ programme instead.
July 2008 - William Hart, 22, had sex with the 14 yr old girl on two occasions after meeting her at a party and swapping mobile phone text messages and emails through the MySpace social networking site and still walks free from court. Judge Cottle gave Hart, of St David’s Hill, a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for two years
July 2011 - AN internet paedophile caught by detectives in a sting operation in Exeter has walked free from court. Robert Powell, 57, travelled from his home in Liverpool to Exeter St David’s railway station in February expecting to meet a 13-year-old girl called Suzie.
But instead he was intercepted by officers from (CEOP) who had posed online as the fictitious teenager. Powell was arrested and later admitted five sexual offences including trying to “groom” a girl online and possessing more than 100 images of children of varying levels of severity, from level one to four.
Judge Graham Cottle said it would be “much more constructive” for Powell to undergo treatment than spend time in jail.
March 2012 - Suspended sentence for sexual assault on underage girl
Robert Lemin admitted the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl. Jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years. A two-year supervision requirement.
May 2009 – Dangerous Pervert who abused 5 yr old girl escapes jail
A MAN who abused a five-year-old Exeter girl is now living under self-imposed house arrest because of the shame of his crime. Hudson, 57, was sentenced to 18 months in jail, suspended for two years by Judge Cottle. He had been convicted of indecently abusing the girl in Exeter in the 1990s and a similar offence against a 12-year-old youngster in another part of the country in the 1980s
May 2009 - Flasher under curfew
A PERSISTENT flasher will be electronically tagged and banned from going outdoors when school children are about. Howard Baker, 65, was given the three-month curfew at Exeter Crown Court, after being convicted of flashing at young girls across from the fence of their EXETER city school. Judge Cottle said that it was not possible to impose a jail sentence as Baker had already spent a year in custody, which is more than he would have served for the actual offence
August 2011 - ‘The Beast of Sligo’ free to roam the streets despite being jailed for 238 years?
Joseph McColgan, was jailed for a record 238 years for raping his own children. The Irishman, dubbed the Beast of Sligo, served just nine years before his early release in 2004. Then in June 2010 Judge Cottle gave him 30 months for possessing child pornography before being released early again.
If I were a police officer I would be watching Graham Cottle like a hawk. Better to be watching so called judges who conspire to let child abusers get away with their crimes than to be stalking and harassing victims and whistleblowers of child abuse to try to find a crumb of something they can throw the book at them for(using Anti Terrorism laws)to make them STFU!
Surely these gangsters can't keep getting away with this blatent protection of one another?
As for me, I will keep my chin up as much as I can, bear up as much as I can, and steadily keep faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (who hates and detests the abuse of little children) as much as I can, because though it looks like these swine have all the aces and can do anything they damned well like, they are wrong, because good will overcome evil.
I have posted this comment on another blog but i think it is relevant here to...
This is sending the wrong message in my opinion, wonder if any of the recently arrested under yewtree or whatever there calling it these days, will get made an example of, when growing up in wales in mid 90′s there was an explosion of car theft and there was one in particular who was very prolific and when the police finally caught up with him they made an example to show that that kind of behaviour was not going to be tolerated, he got five years for aggravated car theft and got six years at the age of 17. Now i think CSA is a much more serious crime and should be delt with accordingly but as we can see this is simply not the case. As for the has beens i feel they will get the same soft punishment, after all look at what good successful lives they have had and how there reputations have taken a hit and how rolf can’t sleep(oh the poor thing).
I think it is time to make some sentencing guide lines like if you plead not guilty and put your victim through the reabuse of a trial only to be found guilty then a custodial sentence can be the only option, i mean why the fuck should they be allowed to keep there liberty when the have stolen it from young children and then get all the help they need, kind of like they are somehow the victim, they get help through counselling and therapy to address there vile issue’s whilst victims are simply told to fuck off and find your own help. I remember calling the Cardiff SARC(sexual abuse referral center) looking for help and to be honest they knew absolutely fuck all, went to gp and said what is the standard medical response for someone that has been abused and she said that there is none(WTF) but yet when a sex offender is caught the response is to offer them support and ongoing care, fuck i bet you can even claim it is a disability and claim DLA, the system is broken, it cares for the offender and not the victims, i have to stop now as i could go on all day…
Andy
i have posted this elsewhere but i think it is relevant here also..
This is sending the wrong message in my opinion, wonder if any of the recently arrested under yewtree or whatever there calling it these days, will get made an example of, when growing up in wales in mid 90′s there was an explosion of car theft and there was one in particular who was very prolific and when the police finally caught up with him they made an example to show that that kind of behaviour was not going to be tolerated, he got five years for aggravated car theft and got six years at the age of 17. Now i think CSA is a much more serious crime and should be delt with accordingly but as we can see this is simply not the case. As for the has beens i feel they will get the same soft punishment, after all look at what good successful lives they have had and how there reputations have taken a hit and how rolf can’t sleep(oh the poor thing).
I think it is time to make some sentencing guide lines like if you plead not guilty and put your victim through the reabuse of a trial only to be found guilty then a custodial sentence can be the only option, i mean why the fuck should they be allowed to keep there liberty when the have stolen it from young children and then get all the help they need, kind of like they are somehow the victim, they get help through counselling and therapy to address there vile issue’s whilst victims are simply told to fuck off and find your own help. I remember calling the Cardiff SARC(sexual abuse referral center) looking for help and to be honest they knew absolutely fuck all, went to gp and said what is the standard medical response for someone that has been abused and she said that there is none(WTF) but yet when a sex offender is caught the response is to offer them support and ongoing care, fuck i bet you can even claim it is a disability and claim DLA, the system is broken, it cares for the offender and not the victims, i have to stop now as i could go on all day…
Andy
"I remember calling the Cardiff SARC(sexual abuse referral center) looking for help and to be honest they knew absolutely fuck all, went to gp and said what is the standard medical response for someone that has been abused and she said that there is none(WTF) but yet when a sex offender is caught the response is to offer them support and ongoing care, fuck i bet you can even claim it is a disability and claim DLA"
I couldn't agree more, and about them claiming being a paedophile is a disability, don't know if they've managed to do that yet but I know they've had meetings with bent psychologists and lawyers to do just that.
I think every psychologist and lawyer should be made to put all their CV and case history online, so that everyone can see if they are making a living out of defending paedophiles and murderers.
"she said that there is none(WTF)"
Same in Staffordshire, look at this
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/aftercare_and_support_for_pindow#comment-27921
it is a fucking disgrace!
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