Leighton Buzzard pervert who pulled boy's underwear down handed suspended sentence

Raymond Parry, 68, of Wyngates, was also given an eight month prison sentence - suspended for two years - at Luton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday) after pleading guilty to sexual assault on a child under 13 at an earlier hearing.

He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which will be in force for 10 years, and has been added to the sex offenders’ register. He must also complete a sex offenders’ rehabilitation programme.

Crown Advocate Nigel Ogborne, presiding, said Parry acted with a “significant degree of planning and a breach of trust”.

On January 2, 2019, a 12-year-old boy told his mother that he had been touched inappropriately by Parry, who was a volunteer at an activity centre.

The victim asked if it was necessary to remove your clothes when being measured, and explained that Parry had removed his trousers and underpants when measuring him for a uniform.

Detective Constable Gemma West said: “This was a clear case of the grooming of a vulnerable child by an older man in a position of trust, purely for the purpose of abusing him.

“We will never tolerate any form of child sexual abuse, and I thank this young boy for having the courage to confide in his mother.

“We hope that seeing an abuser face court will give others the confidence to come forward and report abuse, no matter when or where it has taken place.

“We work closely with our partner agencies to protect children and young people from sexual exploitation and support victims, and we will continue to raise awareness of this very important issue.”

Parents and carers can visit the Parents Protect website which is run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, for resources to help identify and prevent child sexual abuse.

The NSPCC website has a wealth of information on how to talk to your child about staying safe from sexual abuse, including the PANTS underwear rule:

P – Privates are private

A – Always remember your body belongs to you

N – No means no

T – Talk about secrets that upset you

S – Speak up, someone can help

To report child sex abuse, call 101. In an emergency, always call 999.

Alternatively, call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.