Paedophile who paid £18k for family's silence is spared jail
A paedophile teacher who paid off his victim's family escaped being sent to prison at Northampton Crown Court.
Gerard Raffell, aged 42, agreed to pay 18,000 to the parents of a four-year-old boy he had sexually abused, four years before his crimes were reported to the police. They first ordered him to move away from Daventry, change jobs but then 'demanded' a deposit on a new home.
Stuart Yeung, prosecuting, said Raffell was employed as a teacher when he repeatedly sexually abused a child who cannot be identified.
However, the offences only came to light when the boy spoke to others about what had happened and Raffell was arrested and found with 50 indecent internet images on his computer. Raffell, of Witherford Way, Birmingham, admitted four charges of inciting or causing a child into sexual activity.
Judge Ian Alexander QC yesterday sentenced him to a three-year community sex offenders' treatment program, placed him on the sex offenders' register for 10 years, banned him from ever working with children and made him the subject of a sexual offences' prevention order.
He said: "This is a very troublesome case. In 2005, you behaved in a way who people would say was disgracefully abut was certainly badly.
"This is not a usual case. You bought off the child's parents who received 18,000 if you moved or they would go to the police.
"That was reprehensible behaviour on their part but you complied with that position, sold your house and moved away, only being eventually arrested and interviewed about these matters on October 13 last year, during which time you made no denials of sexual interference.
"I am quite satisfied you need treatment and you know that yourself and need some assistance to prevent the inclinations that you have.
"I would not, in all circumstances, be able to send you to prison for a period long enough to receive that treatment."
The judge added: "Why on earth you were not charged with the indecent images I simply do not know."
The court heard how Raffell, who was originally charged with attempted rape, had spent the equivalent of a year in prison while on remand.
Hena Vissian, mitigating, said the former teacher had confessed as soon as he was confronted with his crimes, seeking held from a psychiatrist.
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