July 2012

Dorking ‘predator’ jailed for abusing two children

A “PREDATOR” has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a boy and a girl over the course of almost ten years.

At Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday, James Stratton, 69, was found guilty of abusing the two children, who cannot be identified, numerous times between 1972 and 1982 at various locations in Dorking.

Stratton, formerly of Harrow Road East, Dorking, denied all allegations but was convicted of two charges of indecent assault and five of aiding and abetting indecent assault.

The court had heard he was arrested in December 2010 after the male victim “broke his 30 years of silence”.

In a police interview video played in court, the female victim, now 45, said Stratton had performed sex acts on her, made her perform sex acts on the male victim and made her watch pornography.

She said: “He would show me pornography that was quite horrific, with lots of sexual acts with animals, men and women, and sometimes with younger people in them as well.”

The woman also said Stratton would take her to a public toilet “somewhere in Dorking”, where she was forced to perform sexual acts on other men.

Detective Constable Trudie Harrison said: “The conviction of James Stratton was the result of a lengthy and complex investigation into a number of historic offences which were brought to Surrey Police’s attention in 2010.

“Stratton is a dangerous individual who preyed on innocent victims, and the sentence handed down in court reflects the severity of the offences.”

Stratton had already been sentenced to five years in prison and five years on licence in 2010, after secretly filming couples at his hotel in Perth, Scotland.

He was also found to be in possession of a huge collection of child pornography, which he hid in astorage unit at Perth Airport, and following this conviction will be put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Det Con Harrison added: “I hope that this successful conviction demonstrates Surrey Police’s commitment to ensure dangerous and predatory sex offenders are brought to justice.

“I would also like to commend the victims for their bravery in giving evidence in court which must have been a harrowing ordeal for them.”

Stratton was acquitted of two further charges of aiding and abetting indecent assault.

September 2010

B&B spy pervert is jailed for 5 years

A PERVERT B&B owner who secretly filmed guests having sex was jailed for five years yesterday.

Last month we told how James Stratton, 67, had used pinhole cameras disguised as smoke detectors to record visitors in their rooms.

The sleazy Peeping Tom — who also hoarded thousands of sick child-porn pictures and videos — watched the images in his garden shed.

But he was caught in April last year after a lodger became suspicious and her brother discovered a hidden device.

Prosecutor Charmaine Cole said: “She became aware of noises in the attic and had a feeling she was being watched.”

When cops were called in they found cameras all over Stratton’s home in Perth. And when they raided his airport storage unit they found 8,080 hardcore child-porn photos plus 622 vile videos.

It emerged he’d started filming visitors’ romps in 2005 at the Perth guest house he had owned.

The married sicko had admitted a string of sex charges at Perth Sheriff Court. He was caged by Sheriff Michael Fletcher, who said he’d also be on licence for five years.