April 2014

Paedophile soon to be released is banned from meeting fellow sex offenders

A PAEDOPHILE from North Devon has been banned from contacting two fellow sex offenders after he is freed from his prison sentence.

Terrence Kelly, from Ilfracombe, is due to be released in a few weeks time from a two year term for breaking an order which banned him from contact with children.

He has now need banned from contacting fellow offenders Michael White and Derek Hornett, who he was associating with at the time of his last offences.

Kelly was staying at a hostel in Teignmouth, South Devon, last year when he and White inveigled their way into a local family who had no idea they were both convicted paedophiles.

Both men were also in contact with 53-year-old Hornett, who has a record of sexual offences against the elderly.

Kelly, aged 60, formerly of Market Street, Ilfracombe, and White, aged 55, from Torquay, were both jailed for two years in July 2013 for breaching Sexual Offenders Prevention Orders.

Kelly returned to Exeter Crown Court where Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, varied the existing SOPO to bar him from contacting White or Hornett.

He was not represented and the application, by prosecuting barrister Mr James Taghdissian, was not opposed.

Judge Gilbert agreed the amendment and asked Mr Taghdissian to edit a series of grammatical errors in the original order.

An application to make a similar change to Hornett’s order was adjourned to allow him to seek legal representation.

In the original case the court heard how White found a pretext to remove a five-year-old boy’s trousers and Kelly spent a night as a guest of the unsuspecting family, who were horrified to hear of the two men’s background.

Kelly was a registered sex offender because he was jailed for a year at Exeter Crown Court in 2010 for sexually assaulting three boys aged 12 or 13 when he was living in Market Street, Ilfracombe.

White was jailed for four years in 2008 for having sex with a 15-year-old girl while he was living in a hotel at Exeter Road, Exmouth.

September 2010

Paedophile jailed after preying on vulnerable young boys

PAEDOPHILE Terrence Kelly has been jailed for a year after using his North Devon home as a magnet to sexually abuse vulnerable boys.

The 57-year-old divorced man preyed on boys during sleepovers at his former home in Ilfracombe.

Exeter Crown Court was told Kelly’s victims were among various youngsters he had befriended, plying them with gifts and outings.

Kelly, who later moved to Market Street, Ilfracombe, was also applying for jobs with vulnerable youngsters when he was arrested.

Recorder Martin Meeke QC, sentencing him on Friday, said: “You invited them to your home for sleepovers. You and your property became a magnet for young boys and there was a pattern of grooming them.”

The judge also ordered Kelly to put his details on the Sex Offender Register and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, both for 10 years.

Kelly, who has no criminal record, had pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child, involving separate incidents with two 13-year-old boys and an offence of attempted sexual activity with a 12-year-old boy on another occasion.

Prosecutor Emily Pitts said: “The defendant lived in a one-bedroom flat in a more rural area of Ilfracombe.

“He would buy boys food, money, clothes, take them swimming or sometimes take them to the pub. He would bribe them with cigarettes and money to do chores.”

Some of the boys found Kelly odd and were surprised at his offers to hug or massage youngsters but they did not realise his intentions when they stayed at his home.

She said police discovered the offences, which all happened last year, after they were contacted by the mother of one victim.

The boy had tearfully confided in her, when he returned home after Kelly molested him when he stayed over.

Another boy had woken up to find Kelly was abusing him, on another occasion.

The prosecutor said: “He only came forward to police when he learned he was not the only one.”

The other incident was when a boy found Kelly trying to touch him in bed, and kicked him away, while sleeping at the defendant’s home with friends.

Miss Pitts said all the victims were particularly vulnerable for various reasons including being victims of bullying or having behavioural problems.

She added: “Police noted the defendant was applying for jobs where he would come into contact with young, vulnerable people.”

Defence counsel Richard Crabb said the defendant was extremely remorseful and had lost his accommodation and moved to a bedsit.

He said: “He lived quite an isolated and lonely existence and he’s sought companionship and more by befriending young boys.

“It’s not suggested these offences are the tip of the iceberg. He is not assessed as posing significant risk of harm. He is genuinely terrified of going to prison.”

Recorder Meeke told the defendant: “Each boy has been affected by your conduct. I have concluded the offences which you have admitted are too serious for a community penalty.”

After the case Detective Inspector Dave Atkinson from Barnstaple Police said: “We were disappointed with the sentence although we understand the reasoning behind it, with the rehabilitation orders.

“It’s very difficult for victims of this type of crime to come forward, but if anyone has any information regarding this man, or any other abuser, we would ask them to please contact us on 0845 777444.”