JAMES WATSON FROM BROADWOODKELLY SENTENCED FOR GROOMING 11-YEAR-OLD BOY IN EXETER

In October 2020, a disturbing case unfolded involving James Watson, a man from Broadwoodkelly near Okehampton, who was convicted of grooming an 11-year-old boy. The case revealed a troubling pattern of behavior that spanned over a decade, highlighting the dangers posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses against children.

Watson, aged 38, had previously been convicted ten years earlier for similar offenses while residing in Essex. Despite completing a sex offenders’ treatment program after his initial conviction, he falsely claimed to have been cured. He presented a certificate from a counsellor as proof that he was no longer a threat to children. At the time of his first conviction in 2008, Watson was placed on the sex offenders’ register and was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which restricted his contact with minors. However, both these legal restrictions had expired by the time he encountered his second victim.

The second incident involved Watson forming a seemingly innocent bond with a young boy. The boy’s mother was unaware of Watson’s criminal background and believed her son’s relationship with him was harmless and sweet. Unfortunately, this trust was exploited, as Watson was engaging in ongoing abuse of the boy. The abuse only came to light when social services discovered Watson’s prior conviction and alerted the mother, revealing the true nature of his interactions with her son.

Details of the case showed that Watson, a tree surgeon by profession, denied two counts of inciting a child to sexual activity. However, a jury at Exeter Crown Court found him guilty in August. The court sentenced Watson to ten years in prison, with an additional six years on extended licence, emphasizing the serious threat he posed to the community. Judge Timothy Rose described Watson as a danger to the public, stating, “This was not the first time you have behaved in this way. Your previous conviction shares features which are remarkably similar.”

The judge further explained that Watson targeted vulnerable children, specifically noting that the boy was only 11 or 12 years old when he was exploited. Watson was accused of deliberately gaining the trust of the boy’s family to facilitate his offending, concealing his criminal history from them. Despite undergoing intensive supervision after his first conviction, Watson falsely claimed to have been cured, and the danger he represented persisted unnoticed.

As part of the court’s ruling, Watson was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits any future contact with boys. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. The prosecution, led by Mr. Nigel Wraith, detailed how Watson continued to abuse the boy until social services intervened in 2018. The social workers alerted the boy’s mother after discovering Watson’s past and his false claims of rehabilitation, supported by a certificate from a counsellor.

Watson’s previous convictions included a 2008 case at Chelmsford Crown Court, where he was convicted of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy and taking indecent photographs of him. While awaiting trial, Watson continued to download more images of boys, demonstrating a continued pattern of offending.

The mother of the latest victim delivered an emotional impact statement, describing the past two and a half years as “pure hell.” Watson, in his defense, claimed he had no sexual interest in children and insisted he had not engaged in any sexual contact with the boy. Nevertheless, the court’s verdict and sentencing underscored the severity of his actions and the ongoing threat he posed to children and the community at large.