Expert in child porn jailed for sexually abusing girls

AN expert in child pornography who lectured police and criminal prosecutors on how to protect children was jailed for seven years yesterday for subjecting three young girls to "systematic sexual abuse".

Briton Stephen King, aged 54, lived a double life, recommending appropriate sentences for paedophiles while at the same time carrying out sexual offences against the three girls.

He had sex with one girl who was just 10 years old, London's Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court heard yesterday.

King, of Hurst Street, Herne Hill, south London, pleaded guilty to 21 counts including sex with a girl under 13 years, 10 counts of indecent assault, six charges of indecency with a child and four counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.

Passing sentence, Judge Fabyan Evans said King, who was credited in the final recommendations in the Court of Appeal for offering advice on sentences for paedophiles, had abused his position as a self-professed expert on child abuse.

Judge Fabyan Evans condemned King's actions.

He said: "it was depraved, corrupt and persistent behaviour on vulnerable young girls.

"You took advantage of three of them, one with learning difficulties."

Speaking outside the court, Detective Inspector Neil Thompson of the Metropolitan Police paedophile unit said he was happy with the sentence passed down yesterday.

"Stephen King, in my view, is a devious predatory paedophile who's preyed on vulnerable children in this country for over three decades."

Mr Thompson praised the three girls who came forward and gave evidence and said it had a "horrendous effect" on their lives.

The officer made a nationwide appeal for any other possible victims of King to come forward and contact police.

He also urged anyone who had known King over the years to get in touch.

Mr Thompson described King as a "self-proclaimed expert on the Children's Act and pornography he made it his life's work".

He said King had helped organise conferences for all the criminal agencies across the justice system but had not directly lectured police officers.

"He has assisted defence lawyers in the past with clients who have been charged," he said.