IVAN CRADDOCK FROM BARKING AND DAGENHAM AND GLASTOKE: SHOCKING CHILD SEX OFFENSES REVEALED

In a series of disturbing criminal cases spanning several decades, Ivan Craddock, a man with ties to Barking, Dagenham, and Glascote, has been convicted and sentenced for heinous sexual offenses involving young girls. The gravity of his crimes, which date back to the 1970s and 1980s, has shocked the local communities and prompted lengthy legal proceedings to ensure justice was served.

One of the most recent developments occurred in November 2015, when Craddock's appeal against his conviction was dismissed by London's Appeal Court. Craddock, aged 65 and residing in Tamworth, was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court in March of the previous year of multiple sex crimes committed against two young girls during the 1970s and 1980s. The court heard that one girl was raped twice and indecently assaulted twice, while the other was given a toxic substance in her drink before being indecently assaulted.

Both victims were minors at the time of the offenses, aged 12 and 13, and Craddock was sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court, presided over by Sir David Maddison, detailed the severity of the crimes, emphasizing the lasting impact on the victims' lives. The incidents took place over a span of years, with the first victim being assaulted as young as 12 and raped at 13, with the abuse continuing until she was nearly 17. The second victim was assaulted in 1988, after Craddock administered a noxious substance to her.

Craddock denied all allegations, claiming the girls were lying, but the jury believed the evidence presented. During the original trial, Judge Simon Wilkinson condemned Craddock’s actions, stating that he had 'destroyed' one victim’s childhood and showed no remorse. The judge also pointed out that the second victim was assaulted in 1988 after being drugged, highlighting the calculated nature of his crimes.

Craddock’s legal team argued that the jury’s verdicts regarding the first victim were inconsistent and illogical. However, the appeal court dismissed these claims, with Sir David Maddison ruling that the jury was justified in concluding that the victims had been subjected to the sexual offenses, even if they were not certain that a noxious substance had been administered in every case.

Prior to these convictions, in May 2014, Craddock, then 63 and residing in Glascote Heath, was sentenced to 13 years after being found guilty of abusing two vulnerable young girls during the 1970s and 1980s. The court heard how he had targeted victims as young as 12 and 13, with the abuse continuing over several years. His first known attack was on a 13-year-old girl in 1972, and the second victim was abused from the age of 12 after he took her to the Cardrome driving centre in Hornchurch, Essex, where he spiked her drink with drugs.

The abuse persisted until the second girl was 17, with a further rape occurring in November 1977 after she was given another spiked drink. Craddock, who worked as a minicab driver from Furness, Glascote Heath, also drugged and indecently assaulted a third girl in a bedsit in 1988. These crimes only came to light when one of the victims was approached by police in 2008 regarding another matter. She disclosed the abuse she had suffered as a child, leading to a full investigation.

Craddock was arrested in June 2012 and charged in July 2013. Detective Constable Karen Drew, of the Metropolitan Police’s sexual offences, exploitation, and child abuse command, expressed her condemnation of his actions, emphasizing the sickening nature of his crimes and praising the courage of his victims who came forward despite the passage of time. She urged others who have been victims of sexual offenses to report their experiences.

In March 2014, Craddock was found guilty of six charges, including indecent assault, rape, and administering a noxious substance. Prosecutor Mark Williams highlighted how Craddock groomed and exploited his victims, with one girl being drugged and raped until she was old enough to resist. The court heard how he blackmailed another victim, threatening to tell her family about her abuse, until she finally confronted him at age 17. Craddock’s victims, now middle-aged women, demonstrated remarkable bravery in coming forward and seeking justice.

In addition to the convictions, Craddock faces ongoing legal proceedings. In August 2013, he was scheduled for trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on charges dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, involving multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, and poisoning. The charges relate to three victims, two of whom were under 16 at the time of the offenses, and span from 1972 to 1988. Craddock, who has consistently denied the allegations, remains in custody awaiting sentencing scheduled for April 4, 2014, with the full scope of his criminal actions now laid bare for the public and justice system to address.