Plan B Forum

A judge has been criticised for failing to jail a pervert who groomed a 14-year-old girl for sex after ruling he was being 'simply a young man'.

Turon Ali, 26, groomed the schoolgirl by sending her explicit text messages and then arranged a secret meeting where he planned to abuse her.

He was only prevented from sexually assaulting the girl when her older brother found one of the texts and alerted police.

But Ali avoided jail at Cambridge Crown Court with a 12-month suspended sentence after a top judge ruled he was 'not a paedophile as such'.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: 'You thought she was ''easy' meat''. You were thrust into a moral vacuum without a single care of what you might be doing.

'You are not a paedophile as such. You are simply a young man who was unable to control his sexual urges.'

Children's charity campaigners yesterday slammed the lenient sentence and Claude Knights, director of Kidscape, described Ali's crime as 'very serious'.

She said: 'We have to ask what is meant by the phrase, 'not a paedophile as such'. Sexual offenders do not adhere to a stereotype.

'We know that they come from all classes, professions, racial and religious backgrounds.

'Grooming a minor with the clear intention of engaging in sexual activity with her is a very serious crime, and needs to be recognised as such.

Same judge refused to jail two previous sex offenders

Judge Hawkesworth came under fire in September 2008 when he refused to jail a Cambridge University academic convicted of downloading sick child porn

Nicholas Hammond, then 45, a specialist in modern French at Gonville and Caius College, was given a 12 month suspended sentence.

He was caught with more than 1,000 sick images of children on his computer including vile images of babies aged just 16-months old. Judge Hawkesworth said: 'The greater public interest, in my judgement, requires me not only to punish but to provide you with an opportunity to rehabilitate yourself.

'You are a sorely damaged individual who needs support and help.'

Judge Hawkesworth also refused to jail child sex offender Jonathan Jenkins, then 21, after claiming his 'studies would be ruined' if he was put behind bars.

The former Cambridge University student was caught with 293 child porn images on his computer including four photos of girls aged between nine and 15-years-old which were classed level five, the most serious level.

Jenkins, who moved his studies to Bath, was given a four month suspended sentence at Cambridge Crown Court in April 2009.

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WINNIPEG - Protesters marched on the Law Courts on Friday and demanded Justice Robert Dewar be removed from the bench following his controversial comments about a rape victim's provocative attire.

"These statements by (Justice) Dewar are reinforcing the myth of implied consent and the myth that a victim of sexual assault is ultimately responsible for their own victimization," said Alanna Makinson of the Canadian Federation of Students.

About 100 protesters waved placards bearing messages including "Dewar resign now" and "No such thing as implied consent." The group's chants prompted honks from several passing motorists.

"I'm disgusted with the issue," said Bob Hudson. "This judge is way out of line and should be tossed, as far as I'm concerned."

Dewar convicted Thompson resident Kenneth Rhodes of sexually assaulting the 26-year-old victim 4 1/2 years ago. Dewar rejected a Crown recommendation Rhodes be sentenced to at least three years in prison and instead granted him a conditional sentence.

Dewar said the victim and a friend were dressed in tube tops and high heels when they met Rhodes and another man outside a bar "and made it publicly known that they wanted to party."

Rhodes, Dewar said, had the mistaken belief "sex was in the air" and a "heightened expectation" that sex would occur.

Court heard the victim rebuffed Rhodes three times before he raped her on the side of a road. Rhodes admitted telling the woman "it would only hurt for a little while."

Dewar said Rhodes described the incident as "a case of misread signals." Dewar's verdict in another sex assault case is currently before the Manitoba Court of Appeal.

Last summer, Dewar acquitted a man charged with several counts of sexually assaulting a young girl. The Crown appealed the ruling, arguing Dewar erred in his assessment of the accused man's evidence and the evidence of the alleged victim, and that Dewar engaged in "inappropriate speculation."

The appeal was heard earlier this month. The high court has reserved its decision.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2 ... 18376.html