TUNBRIDGE WELLS PSYCHOTHERAPIST BENJAMIN EDGELL SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES
A psychotherapist named Benjamin Edgell has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for child sex offences that have had a devastating impact on his victim.The court was told that Edgell, 43, who previously claimed to have had sex with over 900 individuals, was a fraudster who misrepresented himself as a qualified therapist to groom his victim and her family.
The judge stated that such a sentence was necessary because Edgell's uncontrollable sex drive posed a significant risk of serious harm to women and young girls.
Evidence presented in court included allegations that Edgell touched the victim's private areas and rubbed against her, encouraging her to touch his genitals, with photos of her naked from the waist down found on a laptop linked to his phone.
The victim's mother expressed deep sorrow, stating the abuse had left her child feeling unsafe, angry, and with a distorted view of herself, saying "Child abuse lives with the victim forever.
Her life has been destroyed.
She has so much anger.
She hates her body and the way she looks.
She feels unsafe.
She says she cannot get the sexual abuse out of her head." Edgell was found guilty of multiple charges, including assault by penetration and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, after denying the accusations.
He maintained his innocence during the trial, despite the jury's guilty verdict.
The judge highlighted Edgell's history of unprofessional conduct, including being removed twice from professional bodies for relationships with clients, and indulging in group sex and pornographic films.
The court sentenced him to an extended sentence consisting of 14 years in custody with an additional four years on license.
Edgell, who appeared via video link from prison, will serve just over nine years before being eligible for parole, with strict conditions including indefinite registration as a sex offender.
The judge emphasized that Edgell showed no remorse, failed to accept responsibility, and depicted himself as the victim, despite a clear pattern of predatory behavior.
The verdict underscores the serious risk Edgell continues to pose due to his inability to control his sex drive and his manipulative conduct while masquerading as a legitimate therapist.
