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Tory MP's half-brother Charles Napier jailed over 'prolific' child sex abuse
Tory MP's half-brother Charles Napier sentenced to 13 years over 'prolific' child sex abuse
(about 2 hours later)
The half-brother of a senior Conservative MP carried out hundreds of sexual assaults on young boys, a court heard today.
Charles Napier, half-brother to a senior Conservative MP, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison over the sexual abuse of 23 boys more than 20 years ago.
Former teacher Charles Napier, 67, who is related to Maldon MP John Whittingdale, has admitted a string of historic offences.
The 67-year-old former teacher had admitted to 30 counts of indecent assault against boys younger than 16.
Napier conducted a "campaign of abuse" at the school where he worked as a young man in the late 1960s and early 1970s, grooming and abusing 21 victims aged as young as eight on scores of occasions, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.
His "campaign of abuse," as it was characterised by the prosecution, spanned 1967 to 1983.
Last month he pleaded guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault - including many covering "multiple incidents" - and one indecency charge in relation to those crimes.
He was alleged to have groomed and abused victims between 8 and 13 years old; the court heard that there were "well in excess" of 100 indecent assaults, that Napier was "prolific".
Today he admitted a further two separate historic allegations of indecent assault against two 13-year-old boys , the first in 1979 and the second in 1983, after he left the school.
At Southwark Crown Court in London last month, Napier pleaded guilty to 28 indecent assault charges and one indecency charge, and today he admitted to two further offences against 13 year old boys.
It was also revealed today that he has twice previously been convicted of abuse against boys.
It was also revealed he was twice convicted of abuse against boys - in 1972 he was put on a three year probation order, and in 1995 was sentenced to nine months in jail.
Napier, of Sherbourne, Dorset, faces jail for the latest convictions when he is sentenced later today.
Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said there was "no doubt" Napier had become a teacher because of the opportunity to work with and near young boys.
The court heard Napier's offending at the school was "prolific", with "well in excess" of 100 indecent assaults committed against 21 different pupils aged between eight and 13 over a period of around two-and-a-half years.
Referring to the scale of the abuse, he said: "It must have been hundreds."
Referring to the scale of the abuse, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said: "It must have been hundreds."
One boy is thought to have been abused more than 100 times.
He is alleged to have told one victim "don't be a baby" and another whom he forced to perform oral sex: "That's what grown-ups do".
Napier's abuse had "profound effects" on his victims, one of whom attempted suicide later in life.
Napier, who is the half brother of John Whittingdale, later became the treasurer of now defunct paedophile activist group the Paedophile Information Exchange.
Peter Clement, prosecuting, said: "The offences are characterised by a campaign of sexual abuse involving significant planning, grooming and abuse of many pupils.
Peter Clement, prosecuting, said: "The offences are characterised by a campaign of sexual abuse involving significant planning, grooming and abuse of many pupils.
"It was sexual abuse of particularly vulnerable victims. The defendant ensured each child's compliance and silence through grooming to the extent that he abused several of the victims many, many times.
"It was sexual abuse of particularly vulnerable victims. The defendant ensured each child's compliance and silence through grooming to the extent that he abused several of the victims many, many times.
"The defendant abused the high degree of trust placed in him by his colleagues, the children's parents and the children themselves and exploited his role for his own sexual gratification."
"The defendant abused the high degree of trust placed in him by his colleagues, the children's parents and the children themselves and exploited his role for his own sexual gratification."
The court heard Napier would give his victims treats including fizzy drinks and chocolate.
In mitigation, Benjamin Hargreaves said Napier is "genuinely remorseful" and "realises how appalling his actions were".
One victim was told by Napier "don't be a baby" while another suffered "profound effects" from being repeatedly abused and attempted suicide later in life, the court heard.
Additional reporting by Press Association
Some pupils were targeted as often as once a week, with one boy alone said to have been abused more than 100 times.
Napier abused some victims in the presence of other children, the court heard.
On two occasions he made a boy perform oral sex on him, telling the child: "That's what grown-ups do."
If those two offences occurred today Napier would have been charged with rape, the court heard.
It emerged today that one boy made a complaint that resulted in Napier pleading guilty to indecent assaults on a total of five pupils who are not involved in this case, in 1972. He was sentenced to a three year probation order.
In another separate case he was jailed for nine months in 1995 after he was convicted of assaulting two children.
The two victims in those charges Napier admitted today contacted police after reading news coverage about their abuser's arrest earlier this year.
Napier joined the school, which cannot be named, as a young man and when he was arrested last year he told police he already knew he was a paedophile at that time.
He said he underwent electric shock treatment but it had no impact on his attraction to children.
The court heard that Napier told police after he was dismissed from the school he went on to join the Paedophile Information Exchange as treasurer.
He said when interviewed that he felt "ghastly" and "desperately sorry", telling officers: "I was a very young man, I was completely out of control and completely out of order, putting it about everywhere."
Benjamin Hargreaves, for Napier, said in mitigation that the defendant is "genuinely remorseful" and "realises how appalling his actions were".
He added: "He knows that he is responsible for a most serious and grave period (of offending) but he is no threat now."
