April 2023

Monster ex-cop caged for 21 years for abusing baby and targeting girls playing on rollerskates

An ex-Cleveland police officer has been jailed for 21 years for horrific abuse of children.

Philip Magson, 61, sexually abused a toddler and another pre-schooler in a Teesside park, taking a nappy off the youngest victim in order to carry out his sickening crime, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The older child was able to describe what happened to their mum – who called the police.

On Friday, the court also heard that Magson had been sacked from Cleveland Police after he sexually abused three women back in 1983.

Over 30 years later, when he noticed girls playing out on their rollerskates on a street, Magson pretended to help them up when they fell over. But as he did he inappropriately touched them and made explicit sexual remarks about their bodies.

It wasn’t until Magson returned to the same street seven months later, and one of the girls realised he was the man she had told her mum about, that police were able to trace him. CCTV from a corner shop picked up the number plate of his van and Magson was arrested.

Magson, who previously gave his address as Earlsway, on Teesside Industrial Estate in Stockton, was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault on a child under 13; and two counts of causing a child under 13, to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Howard Crowson told Magson that he disagreed with one aspect of a probation report on him, that his offending was opportunistic. He said: “Your offending was not opportunistic. You planned the visits to that street and looked for targets.

“You represent a risk of causing serious harm to children by further sexual offences. You are a dangerous offender. You’ve been offending in a deviant sexual manner since the 1980s.”

The judge branded Magson a “dangerous offender” and imposed an eight-year extended licence period, on top of a 21-year prison term.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order preventing him from contacting children under 16, and police notification requirements for life.

Judge Crowson told Magson that if he broke any of the 13 conditions of his court order when he is released, he will be recalled to prison to serve the full 28-year term.