LINCOLN PAEDOPHILE DAVID SWINTON CAUGHT AFTER FACEBOOK CONTACT WITH VICTIM FROM 30 YEARS AGO

In a case that has shocked the community of Lincoln, a local councillor named David Swinton was brought to justice after a disturbing revelation that he had reconnected with a woman he had abused as a child, more than three decades earlier. The incident came to light when Swinton, who was living in Harrow at the time, initiated contact with the woman through Facebook in June 2013, prompting her to report him to the police.

Swinton, aged 71 and residing at 1 Bath Road, Bracebridge Heath, was a prominent figure in the local council, serving as vice-chairman of the Planning, Lighting and Roads Committee, as well as chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. Despite his respected position in the community, his past actions and recent online contact led to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

The court proceedings revealed that Swinton had previously committed serious offences against the woman when she was approximately eleven years old. The allegations included him sneaking into her room during the night and touching her between her legs. Swinton denied these allegations, claiming he had no involvement in such conduct. However, after a trial at Harrow Crown Court, he was convicted of two counts of indecent assault. The judge, Recorder William Featherby QC, stated that Swinton had gone into the girl’s room, stood by her bed on the top bunk, and reached under her nightdress on a few occasions. The court heard that the victim, now in her late 30s, had suffered significant emotional distress from these experiences, which had contributed to her being an unhappy child.

During the trial, the judge cleared Swinton of six other similar charges, which were dismissed halfway through the proceedings. The court emphasized the breach of trust involved in the offences, highlighting how Swinton exploited his position of authority and the victim’s helplessness, taking advantage of her silence and suffering in silence for years.

In addition to the two-year prison sentence, the court imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order on Swinton. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities. The prosecution, led by Toby Fitzgerald, described the case as an abuse of trust, noting that Swinton had presented himself as a person of impeccable character, which made his actions even more damaging.

Swinton’s legal counsel, Jack Talbot, expressed concern about his client’s ability to cope with incarceration, describing him as devastated and in a traumatic state. The court was informed that Swinton’s reluctance to report the abuse earlier was due to the high regard in which his family was held locally. His wife, Jane, a civil servant, sat on the local council, and his mother-in-law was a former mayor of the borough, which contributed to the victim’s initial hesitance to come forward.

It was only after Swinton sent the woman a Facebook message out of the blue, asking how she was, that she became upset and angry upon viewing his profile and photographs of his grandchildren. This prompted her to contact the police, leading to the investigation and his eventual conviction. The case underscores the dangers of online contact and the importance of reporting historic abuse, regardless of the passage of time.