January 2013

Man guilty of sex abuse at North Wraxall stables handed suspended sentence

A dangerous sexual predator who abused a girl at his riding stables, starting when she was aged just 12, has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Peter Jones, who is on early release from a six-year sentence for similar matters, was told his rehabilitation would be set back if he was put back behind bars.

Instead, a judge sitting at Swindon Crown Court imposed a one-year jail term, suspended for a year, even though the 44-year-old has yet to start an extended licence from the other sentence.

Jones was previously convicted of indecently touching girls as young as six as he helped them into the saddle.

He went on to attack a total of six girls aged between six and 13 – some repeatedly – between 1999 and 2006 on his farm in Wiltshire.

The latest offences took place in the late 1990s, when the 12-year-old girl, an avid horserider, spent much of her time at the North Wraxall stables Jones ran with his mother.

During the following three years Jones repeatedly sexually abused her in and around his Mountain Bower yard.

Jones, now of The Halve, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and was handed a 24-month suspended sentence with no further requirements on Friday, December 20.

In 2009, he was jailed for six years with a four-year extended licence after the judge ruled he presented a significant risk of serious sexual offending in the future.

April 2009

Paedophile who opened riding school to lure young girls is jailed for six years

A paedophile who opened a horse riding school to lure and sexually abuse young girls has been jailed for six years.

Peter Jones, who had no experience or training with horses, converted his land into a livery yard and stables to ‘ensure’ he had access to children.

Jones, 40, indecently touched girls as young as six as he helped them into the saddle.

He went on to attack a total of six girls aged between six and 13 – some repeatedly – between 1999 and 2006 on his farm in Wiltshire.

Swindon Crown Court heard how Jones had opened a riding school on his land in North Wraxall in 1999.

He invited young girls to learn to ride and keep their horses in his stables, but actively discouraged boys from using them.

Rosie Collins, prosecuting, said he indecently touched the girls over their clothing as they carried out their duties in the yard.

Jones, described as a ‘danger to young girls’, also rubbed his genitals against one of the children when she was just 10 years old.

He was finally caught after one of his victims raised the alarm.

Jones pleaded guilty to 15 counts of indecent assault on children under 13, and four counts of sexual activity with a child on February 9.

Jailing him for six years at Swindon Crown Court, Judge Mark Horton told him: ‘You deliberately created an environment in which you had access to young girls.

‘You are clearly attracted to young girls and have been predatory in ensuring you had access to them.

‘You were undoubtedly predatory, grooming these young girls to accept increasing amounts of sexual abuse by you.’

He added: ‘You are a danger to young girls and will remain so for the future.’

Robin Shellard, defending, said Jones felt remorse for his crimes.

He said: ‘Mr Jones accepts he is going to prison and going to prison for a number of years.

‘Today will affect him for the rest of his life.’

Jones was also banned from working with children and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.