HARRY JEFFRIES AND PETER HOWELLS: SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE IN HACKNEY, LONDON

In the quiet streets of Hackney, London, a disturbing history of child abuse and exploitation has come to light, revealing the dark activities of individuals known locally and within the entertainment industry. Harry, also known as Owen Jeffries, and Peter Howells, have been linked to a long-standing network of paedophilia that operated under the guise of innocent community figures and entertainment professionals.

Harry Jeffries, who was sentenced in 1994 to a mere two years for five counts of taking and possessing indecent photographs, was a figure who appeared to be a benign, elderly man to many in Hackney. Known affectionately as ‘Uncle Harry,’ he was perceived as a kind, trustworthy individual who often looked after children in the neighborhood. However, beneath this facade lay a sinister reality. Jeffries had molested over 30 children over a period exceeding a decade, engaging in a pattern of grooming, exploitation, and photographing his young victims.

Christine, a local resident, recalls her first impression of Jeffries: “He seemed such a sweet old man,” she said, recounting how he had just brought her son, Danny, home after a football match. She noticed Danny looked unusually clean and asked about it, to which he replied he had taken a bath at Harry’s. Despite her suspicions, she was reassured when Danny insisted everything was fine. Yet, this seemingly innocent encounter was part of a broader, horrifying pattern of abuse.

Jeffries was not acting alone. He was the leader of a paedophile ring that targeted children in Hackney for over ten years. The group engaged in molestation and took indecent photographs of at least 30 children. Evidence suggests that their activities were not isolated but part of an international paedophile network, with links to child pornography operations in Amsterdam. This connection to a wider, organized crime syndicate is underscored by ongoing investigations and recent raids in Belgium and France, where hundreds of suspected paedophiles have been apprehended, revealing the extensive reach of such networks.

During the 1980s, the network extended into the Rhodes Estate area of Hackney, where the gang managed to ingratiate themselves with local families. They gained trust by babysitting for some, which allowed them to access children more easily. Chief Inspector Ian Delbarre, formerly of the Stoke Newington Child Protection Team, emphasizes the patience of paedophiles: “There’s a mistaken belief that offences happen immediately after meeting children. That’s not true. Paedophiles are willing to spend years befriending and grooming their victims, often investing significant time and resources before any abuse occurs.”

Many victims and their families were deceived by Jeffries’ seemingly benign demeanor. Christine’s story highlights how Jeffries exploited her trust, and how her own friend, Jo, a mother of two victims, was manipulated into allowing Jeffries into her home. Jo recounts how she had not had a night out in 12 years until Jeffries suggested she go out with her husband, Pat. She believed Jeffries was a kind old man, but that night, he assaulted her five-year-old daughter. Jo only discovered the abuse when her daughter was sent home from nursery bleeding. Initially, Jo and Pat were suspected of the abuse, and malicious rumors circulated that they were involved in exploiting their children. It was only later that the community learned Jeffries was the real perpetrator, and that he had been abusing children for months.

Jeffries and his associates used the lure of acting opportunities to entrap young boys. James Chalkley, a friend of Jeffries and a former minor actor with small roles in EastEnders, was involved in this scheme. Chalkley, who was 67, was also a sex offender and committed suicide at age 83 while under police investigation. He and his twin brother George were found dead in their flat in Fuengirola, Spain. Chalkley’s involvement extended to seducing young boys with promises of acting roles, then subjecting them to sexual assault while others watched through peepholes. One of Chalkley’s victims, who was abused in this manner, was even given a minor role in EastEnders in November 1990.

Peter Howells, aged 65, was another key figure connected to this network. He operated a theatrical agency called Bovver Boots, with offices in Leytonstone, London, and Amsterdam. Howells was convicted of a serious sex offence as early as 1972 and was implicated in the abuse of children from Hackney. He used his agency as a honey trap, befriending children under the pretense of offering acting opportunities. He would give sweets and drinks, then manipulate children into posing nude, often threatening to show their pictures to their friends and family if they refused.

The photographs taken by Jeffries and Howells were often used for their own gratification and circulated within the network. Jeffries, who claimed to be the official photographer for Bovver Boots, would persuade children to strip and pose in swimming trunks, applying oil to their bodies to enhance the photographs. The youngest victim was only five years old. Jeffries would even use a metal stick to prod children into the correct pose, and a hole in the wall allowed others to watch the abuse unfold. After years of exploitation, one victim, Matthew, who was then 14, finally reported the abuse to police, leading to Jeffries’ imprisonment.

Investigations revealed that many of Jeffries’ photographs had been trafficked to Amsterdam, where police found walls covered with obscene images of young boys. Detective Inspector Ian Delbarre states, “Jeffries and his associates would tell the boys they needed to rub baby oil on themselves to improve the photos. They would push the children further, getting them to remove their pants until they were nearly naked.”

Jo’s son Danny, now an adult, recounts his experience: “Harry was coming across like an uncle. He let us do stuff we couldn’t do in school or anywhere else. I did a photo session at his flat, and he told me he’d take me home. I thought it was innocent, just swimming trunks, but then he started asking me to pull them down, to show more. That’s when I started to worry.”

Jo and her family had to leave their home, fleeing the trauma and shame. She describes how her children still suffer, with memories resurfacing and being taunted by neighbors who accuse them of being promiscuous. Jo admits she sometimes wishes she wouldn’t wake up, overwhelmed by guilt and helplessness, but she finds strength in her children’s resilience. Her daughter, now 14, has voluntarily undergone counseling, while her younger children remain overprotected.

When police raided Jeffries’ flat in Aden Grove, near Newington Green, they discovered hidden cameras, spyholes, and two-way mirrors used for spying on children. They also found hundreds of indecent photographs, many taken by Jeffries himself, hidden in unlikely places such as the fridge, salt pots, behind pictures, and inside cereal boxes. Detective Inspector Delbarre states, “We recovered hundreds of photographs and negatives, but we fear there are more circulating.”

Parents of the victims had to identify their children from the photographs, a process that devastated many. Christine recalls the moment she saw the images: “I thought there had been an accident, and then they told me who they were. I was just devastated.”

Kevin, now in his early twenties, was one of the brave victims who finally broke free from the gang’s grip. He was first photographed at age nine and endured years of coercion and threats. Kevin describes how the abusers used psychological tactics to silence him, warning that if he told anyone, the photos would be shared and he would be mocked. He recalls an incident involving Peter Howells, who tried to molest him when he was around ten or eleven, and how he pushed him away and told Jeffries the next day. Kevin emphasizes that the abusers treated the abuse as a game, with no regard for the pain inflicted.

Despite the overwhelming evidence and the bravery of victims like Kevin, the men responsible largely escaped justice. Jeffries was only sentenced to two years in 1994 and was released after just one year, having been acquitted of indecent assault. None of the other men received custodial sentences. Inspector Delbarre explains that the trial was complicated by ongoing investigations in both the UK and the Netherlands, with many victims having already been interviewed multiple times. The case was further hampered by the fact that some suspects had fled abroad, notably to Amsterdam, where Chalkley and Howells lived.

Chalkley’s death by suicide prevented further prosecution, but concerns remain that photographs and videos of the victims may still be circulating, causing ongoing trauma. The police destroyed thousands of images, but the possibility of hidden material persists. The full extent of the abuse remains unknown, with many children still suffering in silence. Danny, reflecting on his ordeal, says, “Every night, it’s always there. I still see Harry in my nightmares. I wish I could turn back time, but I can’t. It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”