BENJAMIN BROWN FROM BLAISDON SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES IN GLOUCESTER

In November 2008, Benjamin Brown, a man residing in Blaisdon, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after being found guilty of multiple serious sexual offences involving two teenage boys. The case was heard at Gloucester Crown Court, where disturbing details of Brown's predatory behavior emerged.

It was revealed that one of Brown’s victims was only 13 years old when the abuse began. Over the subsequent years, Brown, aged 31 at the time of sentencing, exploited the boy’s vulnerability by providing him with money. Evidence showed that Brown often gave the young victim cash, which the boy used to purchase alcohol and drugs. This substance use appeared to lower the boy’s inhibitions, making it easier for Brown to carry out his manipulative and abusive acts.

Judge Martin Picton, presiding over the case, condemned Brown’s actions, stating, “You preyed upon his weakness to satisfy your desires with someone you knew was far too young. You had a distorted and wrong view of what you regarded as a relationship but was in fact an excuse for sexual deviation and manipulation.” The judge’s words underscored the gravity of Brown’s misconduct and the betrayal of trust involved.

Brown admitted to a total of 11 charges related to making indecent images of children, along with seven additional counts of sexually assaulting a minor. The prosecution, led by Mary Harley, explained that the offences came to light when the victim, upon turning 17, confided in a community project worker about the abuse he had endured.

According to the evidence presented, Brown’s assaults on the boy occurred on multiple occasions. One incident involved the boy drinking vodka mixers and falling asleep, only to wake up and find Brown molesting him. On another occasion, the boy was sleepwalking naked when Brown picked him up, took him to his bed, and assaulted him again. The court heard that Brown had been regularly sending money directly into the boy’s bank account from his 14th birthday, further establishing a pattern of grooming and manipulation.

Additionally, Brown purchased a mobile phone for the boy and encouraged him to take sexually explicit photographs of himself, which he then sent to Brown. Police searches of Brown’s home and computers uncovered film clips showing the boy in explicit poses and performing sexual acts on himself. The victim confided in his girlfriend in 2005 and later disclosed the abuse to his support worker in 2006. It was also revealed that a friend of the victim had fallen prey to Brown, with indecent images of him also discovered during the investigation. Disturbingly, images of an unidentified boy, approximately 10 years old, engaged in sexual acts with an adult, were found among the material recovered.

Brown’s defense attorney, Robert Duvall, stated that his client had himself been abused as a very young child, well below the age of 13. Duvall also mentioned that Brown had become depressed and suicidal as a result of the allegations and circumstances.

Ultimately, Judge Picton sentenced Benjamin Brown to six and a half years in prison. Recognizing the ongoing danger he posed, the judge extended Brown’s parole period by an additional three years, emphasizing the need for continued supervision and monitoring to protect the public from further harm.