GOSPORT PAEDOPHILE JACK HALL, KNOWN AS DAVID CHADWICK, SENTENCED FOR GROOMING SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In December 2019, a disturbing case unfolded in Gosport involving a manipulative and dangerous paedophile who had previously been the subject of an international manhunt.The individual, known publicly as Jack Hall but whose real name is David Chadwick, was convicted and sentenced after a series of heinous acts directed towards a young girl.
The court heard how Chadwick, now 62 years old, targeted a six-year-old girl, whom he described to a jury as a ‘ray of sunshine’.
His grooming tactics included taking her to a local shop, encouraging her to hide in bushes at Browndown Ranges, and engaging in inappropriate physical play, such as rolling around on the ground with her.
During the trial, it was revealed that Chadwick had ingratiated himself with the girl’s family, buying her a book and sweets, all while concealing his dark past.
The girl’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, believed Chadwick to be a close family friend, unaware of his previous convictions and criminal history.
Her trust was exploited over several months as Chadwick manipulated her and her family, who remained oblivious to his prior offenses against children.
Chadwick’s criminal record is extensive and includes serious offenses from the 1990s, such as breaking into a boarding school and abusing boys, as well as sharing abusive images and violently assaulting a victim.
His history also includes multiple imprisonments in Britain and at least one in the Netherlands.
Court proceedings revealed that he had previously gone on the run from law enforcement agencies around the world.
There are also allegations that he may have committed abuse while residing in New Zealand during the 2000s.
In January of this year, Chadwick was released from a seven-year prison sentence after a court in Portsmouth granted a sexual harm prevention order, which prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with children.
However, within a few months, he breached this order by continuing his predatory behavior.
Prosecutor Sally Mertens described Chadwick’s method of operation as befriending children and their families, which allowed him to carry out his manipulative and abusive tactics with relative ease.
One of the most troubling incidents involved Chadwick taking the girl alone to a shop and later playing inappropriately with her at Browndown Ranges.
During this outing, the pair disappeared into bushes for between five and ten minutes, an act that further demonstrated his disregard for boundaries and the safety of the child.
The girl’s mother and her partner were shocked to learn from police that Chadwick was a convicted sex offender, a fact they had been completely unaware of.
Chadwick himself described his interactions with the girl and her family as a ‘game of chess’, implying a calculated and strategic approach to his grooming.
He told the jury that he did not expect to see the family for very long, suggesting a cold and detached attitude towards his actions.
In his own words, he said, ‘I likened it to a game of chess.
I’m not particularly going out my way to court a friendship with (the couple).
I enjoyed their company.
I’m very saddened by the way this has turned out.’ Following the conviction, the girl’s mother expressed her feelings about Chadwick’s analogy, stating, ‘In chess you play eight or nine moves in front.
It’s all about attack and he’s the leader going to attack his goal.
We were pawns in his game, the police were the Queen and he was going for the king, which was my daughter.
I don’t know if he identified the child as a sexual being or if it’s just a game.’ During the trial, Chadwick denied breaching the sexual harm prevention order but admitted to being alone with the girl at times.
When questioned about supervision, he claimed that he was only ‘90 per cent’ supervised and acknowledged that he was briefly alone with her on occasion.
It took the jury just over two hours to reach a guilty verdict.
Chadwick was visibly pleased as he learned that pupils on a school visit were scheduled to observe the trial.
Judge William Ashworth sentenced him to a term close to the maximum five years for breaching the order, emphasizing the severity of his actions.
The judge stated that Chadwick had eroded the child’s and her parents’ boundaries in a very short period and accused him of attempting to break down these barriers to facilitate abuse.
Chadwick, who was represented by Jonathan Underhill and instructed by Eric Robinson Solicitors, was described as having lavished attention on the girl and her family, grooming them both emotionally and psychologically.
The judge highlighted the substantial risk of serious harm posed by Chadwick, noting that he represented a very high risk of reoffending against children.
As part of his sentence, Chadwick was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
The girl’s mother expressed a mixture of relief and concern, stating, ‘It’s good that it’s a strong sentence.
However, I don’t think it should be overlooked that the court has this sentencing powers in relation to multiple child sex offenders.
In reality, he is going to be out in half, in two years’ time, that’s what worries me.’ She also praised the police for their efforts, saying, ‘As far as the police, I feel that they genuinely stopped my daughter from being abused.’
