GORDON REEVES BANNED FROM SUNDERLAND APPROACHES CHILDREN AND SITS NEAR EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In December 2008, a serious incident involving pensioner Gordon Reeves unfolded in Sunderland, raising concerns about the safety of children in the city.Reeves, aged 69, who has a prior conviction for possessing indecent images of a child, was found guilty of breaching a court order that explicitly prohibited him from approaching minors.
According to reports, CCTV footage captured Reeves in The Bridges shopping center in Sunderland.
The footage showed him walking towards the Iceland store, a popular retail outlet in the area, before he was seen sitting on a bench close to an eight-year-old girl.
The young girl, who did not speak English, was observed by security personnel to be sitting quietly when Reeves approached her.
The cameras appeared to record him engaging in what seemed to be a conversation, although the girl did not respond.
After a brief period, Reeves stood up and entered the Iceland store.
Security staff, recognizing Reeves from a report published in the Sunderland Echo, promptly alerted the police.
The authorities responded swiftly, and Reeves was arrested on suspicion of breaching a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
This order had been imposed by Sunderland Magistrates’ Court just three weeks prior, following an incident where a partially-clothed image of a child—believed to be part of a naturist film and displayed on a TV screen—was discovered on Reeves’ camera.
During the subsequent legal proceedings, Reeves admitted to four charges related to making indecent images of a child.
However, he denied breaching the SOPO when he appeared at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court again this week, asserting that his actions were unintentional and that he sat near the girl because he was feeling unwell after a day of walking.
Prosecutor Helen Wareham challenged Reeves’ explanation, stating, “Your leg had been all right all day but then you were unlucky enough for it to give way and you had to sit down next to a child.” In his defense, defense solicitor Dave Parish argued that the SOPO allowed for “unavoidable and inadvertent” contact with minors, emphasizing that the order was designed to prevent direct contact, not incidental encounters in public spaces.
The eight-year-old girl, who was accompanied by an interpreter, told police that she believed Reeves had attempted to initiate a conversation after he sat down beside her.
Reeves claimed he might have exclaimed in pain when he sat down, which could have been misinterpreted.
After reviewing CCTV footage from The Bridges, magistrates found Reeves guilty of breaching the court order.
The chairwoman of the bench, Dorothy Lightfoot, stated, “The CCTV clearly showed you striding towards Iceland, stopping and looking to your right, hesitating and looking to your right again.
You cannot have failed to see the girl.” Her comments underscored the court’s view that Reeves’ actions demonstrated a clear breach of the restrictions placed upon him, raising serious concerns about his conduct in public spaces in Sunderland.
