We can't show you picture of paedophile


16 August 2006 09:48

The Evening News has been barred by police chiefs from publishing a photograph of a paedophile deemed such a risk to the public that he has been banned from having any contact with children.

Police sought and obtained an indefinite sex offender order against David Ferguson after magistrates heard how he befriended families with young children in Mile Cross and Lakenham in order to groom them.

Ferguson, now 64, formerly of Gamewell Close, Lakenham, moved to the city after being serving an 18-month sentence for abusing a five-year-old girl.

District judge Philip Browning agreed to a police application for an indefinite sex offender's order against Ferguson.

The order bans Ferguson, who is remanded in jail on drug allegations, from approaching or contacting anyone under 16 or being in or living in any domestic accommodation with them.

We requested a photograph of Ferguson on the basis that its publication would help protect the public, but Norfolk police refused to release it on the grounds that he had not been convicted of an offence.

Detective Inspector Paul Brown told the hearing that Ferguson was assessed as being at high risk of reoffending once released.

“He has involved himself with families with young children, assuming the role of a grandfather figure.”

DI Brown said Ferguson frequently visited people with young children and had physical contact with the youngsters. “This behaviour appears to mirror the original offence of which he was convicted. It was called grooming.”

The police felt the most appropriate way to stop further offending was to remove his access to children.

Ferguson, who was brought to court from a Surrey prison, did not oppose the making of the order.

He told the court: “I would just like to say that maybe they consider me to be a risk. I don't. I have made one mistake in my life and I don't intend to repeat that. I have not reoffended.”

The original offence for which he was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court in January 2001 involved befriending the family of a five-year-old girl.

He took the girl, who called him granddad, to his flat while her mother was in hospital and indecently touched her after inviting another man to watch.

That hearing was told that Ferguson accepted he had a problem and said he had a “fascination” for young people.

Det Con Nicola Beard said that after serving his sentence Ferguson stayed at the John Boag probation hostel and was given accommodation in the community.

The court was told that in December 2003 Ferguson befriended a family, on one occasion looking after the nine-year-old girl.

He befriended another family, becoming a daily visitor, cuddling and kissing girls then aged 11, 10 and six. They called him granddad and he offered to have them stay at his home for the weekend.

In January 2004 Det Con Beard said she told Ferguson he should not look after children because of the delicate situation he was putting himself in.

“He said he would do what he wanted and would not be dictated to by the law. He had done his time.”

After he moved to the Lakenham area he formed a relationship with a woman who had three grandchildren and had unsupervised contact with them.

A report before the court also said that a neighbour reported Ferguson talking about sexual activity with children as young as four.

When his home was searched in December last year police found children's toys and two photographs showing a child's hand holding a toy gun to the head of handcuffed teddy bear.

Earlier this year he allegedly made himself indispensable to a woman who was moving home, offering to look after her three-year-old grandchild, and was seen holding and playing with the youngster.

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