A babysitter has been jailed for indecently assaulting children he was supposed to be looking after.
Justin McFadden, 21, was responsible for a “grevious breach of trust” when he carried out the assaults while the children’s parents were out, a court heard
“It is the duty of the courts to protect young and vulnerable members of society – particulary children – from behaviour like yours,” Judge Benjamin Pearson told McFadden.
And he added: “Courts must reflect the views of society that this type of conduct demands and deserves a deterrent sentence.”
McFadden was jailed for a total of three years. He was also told to stay on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
He was appearing in court yesterday for sentence after he was convicted on three charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency. He was cleared on another seven charges.
McFadden, formerly from Collingwood Road, Colchester, but now of no fixed address, had denied all the charges which related to incidents between March 1995 and June last year.
Nicholas Wilcox, prosecuting, said young girls aged between six and ten were the victims of McFadden. Another charge of indecent assault related to a 15-year-year old girl he knew.
The offences took place in the Colchester area while McFadden was supposed to be looking after the children.
Their parents found out and McFadden was arrested by police.
In a series of interviews with officers, he flatly denied there had been any indecent assaults on the children and said he had behaved entirely properly when he was looking after them.
John Cooper, mitigating, said McFadden was immature and naive and had behaved with a “total lack of sense.”
He was now willing to take part in a sex offenders course and this would hopefully help him, Mr Cooper added.
