2006: MAGICIAN IS JAILED FOR SEX WITH GIRL
A professional magician who had unprotected sex three times with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for two years.Bill Hanson, who advertises as Master Magician in the Yellow Pages, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
He was banned from practising as a magician for children under the age of 16, unless the show is pre-arranged with an appropriate adult.
Hanson, aged 39, of School Lane, Leominster, pleaded guilty to three offences of sexual activity with a child.
Ian Speed, prosecuting, said Hanson had sex with the girl within two days of meeting her this year.
Although he was married with a young son, he had sex with her on two more occasions.
He was interviewed by police after sending her an explicit email.
Judge Alistair McCreath said Hanson had demonstrated magic tricks which entailed him and the girl looking deeply into each other's eyes.
This had led to sexual contact.
Michael Aspinall, defending, submitted there had been a degree of mutual attraction which had led to consensual sex.
Hanson was not sexually attracted to young people and was not a danger to young girls, he said.
The case had cost him his 11-year career and his family.
His wife had begun divorce proceedings and he had lost contact with his son.
The judge accepted Hanson could not be classified as a sexual predator but said that as a mature man, Hanson should have rejected any advances by a girl half his age.
He persisted in having sex with the girl and contacted her by email.
The judge made an order limiting Hanson's contact with children under the age of 16, unless authorized by the probation service.
