CHELMSFORD BINMAN CHRISTOPHER WATSON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON CHILDREN IN CHELMSFORD AND WICKFORD

In August 2015, a disturbing case unfolded involving Christopher Watson, a binman employed by Chelmsford City Council, who was convicted of multiple sexual offenses against two young children. Watson, aged 47 and residing on Brownings Avenue in Chelmsford, had been working as a refuse collector for the local authority since 2010. The allegations against him spanned over a year, specifically between 2005 and 2006, and centered around his conduct at his residence in Wickford.

Watson faced serious charges, including four counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault on a child under the age of 13, along with two additional counts of sexual assault on another child under 13. The victims, whose identities remain protected, recounted their experiences during the trial at Basildon Crown Court. The court heard that the alleged assaults occurred within Watson’s bungalow in Wickford, where he was accused of sharing a bed with both children and engaging in inappropriate touching on multiple occasions.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, Watson maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. He took the stand to deny the accusations, claiming that he used to play a game called “the roly poly game” with one of the children. During cross-examination, Watson was asked by his defense lawyer, Kate Davey, whether he had ever touched the girl’s vagina. He responded firmly, “I would never do anything like that. She would never be undressed.” When questioned about sexual arousal towards children, Watson replied with a clear “no.”

The prosecution, led by Paul Jarvis, argued that Watson’s actions were motivated by personal gratification, asserting that he enjoyed abusing the children. Jarvis challenged Watson’s portrayal of himself as a caring and sensitive individual, suggesting instead that Watson’s behavior was driven by selfish and predatory motives. Watson responded to these accusations with a simple “No.”

Further allegations included claims that Watson saw the second child without any underwear, a charge he denied during cross-examination. He insisted, “I never saw her with no knickers on – I probably would have noticed.” When asked if he had ever touched her inappropriately, Watson again denied any wrongdoing, stating, “No, never, no.” He expressed shock upon learning of the charges, describing his reaction as “total shock,” and said that the allegations “blew me away.” He described feeling “gutted,” and questioned whether someone had influenced the children to make false accusations, adding that he had been thinking about the case constantly since the allegations surfaced.

During the trial, the court also heard from the first victim, who had initially buried the memory of the alleged rape until she watched a Panorama programme on child abuse. The second victim, a teenager from Wickford, gave emotional testimony via video link, recounting how her father’s friend had touched her “in her private area” during visits to his house after they had been to a nearby pub. She revealed that the abuse only came to light nearly ten years later, after she saw an NSPCC Underwear Campaign advertisement last Christmas, which prompted her to report the incident to the police.

The court heard that Watson ceased his inappropriate behavior only after the victim expressed her desire to stop, saying, “she did not want any more cuddles.” The teenager, visibly upset, explained that she initially perceived the incidents as harmless and did not realize the severity of what had happened at the time. The jury, after hearing all evidence, unanimously found Watson guilty of ten counts of sexual assault but acquitted him of the four rape charges. On the following Wednesday, Watson was sentenced to six years in prison for his crimes, marking a significant moment in the ongoing effort to protect children from sexual abuse in the Chelmsford and Wickford areas.