LORD LUCIUS FALKLAND SHOCKS FOWEY WITH SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDAL
| Red Rose Database
Fowey Child Sexual Abuser
In June 1979, a disturbing case involving Lord Lucius Falkland, also known as Viscount Falkland, came to light in Cornwall, specifically in the seaside town of Fowey. The 74-year-old peer, who held the title of Premier Viscount of Scotland, faced serious allegations of sexual misconduct involving young girls over a span of several years. Falkland pleaded guilty to ten charges of indecency, which included offenses against minors aged between 8 and 15 years old, and was subsequently fined £1,140. Additionally, he received a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, as part of his plea agreement.
Magistrates at Bodmin Court heard harrowing details of Falkland’s conduct. It was revealed that he would sometimes have four young girls sharing a bed with him, often in the nude. Police investigations uncovered a trove of disturbing material in his Victorian three-storey residence located at Tower Park, Fowey. Among the seized items were hundreds of sketches drawn on House of Lords notepaper depicting naked girls, along with a collection of indecent photographs featuring his young guests. The police also found sexually charged letters, which added to the evidence against him.
The prosecution detailed that Falkland had hosted approximately 40 girls over the past decade, with ages ranging from just 8 to 15 years old. Some of these girls, including a dozen who were interviewed by police, had photographs taken of them dressed in Falkland’s robes and coronet, suggesting a pattern of exploitation and manipulation. The court was told that Falkland, who was frail and severely disabled, was charged under his real name, Lucius Henry John Plantagenet Carey Falkland, with ten summonses alleging indecency. He faced charges including three counts of indecent assault on a child under 16, four counts of gross indecency, and three counts of taking indecent photographs of a minor.
The offenses spanned from May 1973 to October 1978. Two other charges, involving indecent assault and gross indecency, were dropped after Falkland pleaded not guilty to those specific allegations. During the court proceedings, Mr. Thomas Wareing, the prosecutor, described how Falkland engaged in a disturbing sexual game called “wolf” with the girls who stayed at his house. The court heard that Falkland would tell the girls the house was haunted, a tactic used to encourage them to share his double bed.
When police raided Falkland’s residence, they discovered numerous sketches, mostly of naked girls, along with indecent images of children and several sexually explicit letters. Falkland’s house contained three bedrooms: the yellow room, the blue room, and his own bedroom with a double bed. Falkland claimed that the yellow and blue rooms were haunted by a ghost named Mr. Bennett. One girl, now married, recounted her experience during a holiday at the house in the summer of 1973, where she and two friends, including the daughter of a family friend, stayed with Falkland, known as “Charlie.” She described how, one night, two of them ended up in his bed after he claimed the house was haunted.
Further testimony revealed that Falkland would give the girls pocket money, allow them to smoke, and even drink whisky and sherry. One girl, nicknamed “Flea,” began visiting Falkland regularly from the age of 12, performing shows that included music, dancing, and gymnastics. Another girl stated that Falkland preferred girls aged between 12 and 16 because older girls would want to go out to nightclubs, which he was not interested in. During police interviews, Falkland expressed a sense of victimization, saying, “I have looked after children for years and look what is happening to me now,” adding that the girls were “ganging up on me now.”
Defense counsel, Mr. Alan Rawley QC, argued that Falkland wished to spare the girls the trauma of giving evidence in court. He denied some of the allegations of intimacy, suggesting that girls of that age could exaggerate or fantasize. The defense also emphasized that there was no suggestion of sexual intercourse occurring and questioned the plausibility of the elderly Falkland engaging in such activities given his infirm condition. They argued that Falkland was not a “initial corrupter,” asserting that most of the girls joined him willingly and that their interactions were motivated by amusement rather than coercion.
It was also noted that Falkland was not a wealthy man, surviving on a modest salary of £4,800 annually, which included attendance fees from the House of Lords. Despite the serious nature of the charges, the court was informed that Falkland’s conviction would not affect his seat in the House of Lords, a detail that drew attention to the intersection of aristocratic privilege and criminal conduct in this case.
Magistrates at Bodmin Court heard harrowing details of Falkland’s conduct. It was revealed that he would sometimes have four young girls sharing a bed with him, often in the nude. Police investigations uncovered a trove of disturbing material in his Victorian three-storey residence located at Tower Park, Fowey. Among the seized items were hundreds of sketches drawn on House of Lords notepaper depicting naked girls, along with a collection of indecent photographs featuring his young guests. The police also found sexually charged letters, which added to the evidence against him.
The prosecution detailed that Falkland had hosted approximately 40 girls over the past decade, with ages ranging from just 8 to 15 years old. Some of these girls, including a dozen who were interviewed by police, had photographs taken of them dressed in Falkland’s robes and coronet, suggesting a pattern of exploitation and manipulation. The court was told that Falkland, who was frail and severely disabled, was charged under his real name, Lucius Henry John Plantagenet Carey Falkland, with ten summonses alleging indecency. He faced charges including three counts of indecent assault on a child under 16, four counts of gross indecency, and three counts of taking indecent photographs of a minor.
The offenses spanned from May 1973 to October 1978. Two other charges, involving indecent assault and gross indecency, were dropped after Falkland pleaded not guilty to those specific allegations. During the court proceedings, Mr. Thomas Wareing, the prosecutor, described how Falkland engaged in a disturbing sexual game called “wolf” with the girls who stayed at his house. The court heard that Falkland would tell the girls the house was haunted, a tactic used to encourage them to share his double bed.
When police raided Falkland’s residence, they discovered numerous sketches, mostly of naked girls, along with indecent images of children and several sexually explicit letters. Falkland’s house contained three bedrooms: the yellow room, the blue room, and his own bedroom with a double bed. Falkland claimed that the yellow and blue rooms were haunted by a ghost named Mr. Bennett. One girl, now married, recounted her experience during a holiday at the house in the summer of 1973, where she and two friends, including the daughter of a family friend, stayed with Falkland, known as “Charlie.” She described how, one night, two of them ended up in his bed after he claimed the house was haunted.
Further testimony revealed that Falkland would give the girls pocket money, allow them to smoke, and even drink whisky and sherry. One girl, nicknamed “Flea,” began visiting Falkland regularly from the age of 12, performing shows that included music, dancing, and gymnastics. Another girl stated that Falkland preferred girls aged between 12 and 16 because older girls would want to go out to nightclubs, which he was not interested in. During police interviews, Falkland expressed a sense of victimization, saying, “I have looked after children for years and look what is happening to me now,” adding that the girls were “ganging up on me now.”
Defense counsel, Mr. Alan Rawley QC, argued that Falkland wished to spare the girls the trauma of giving evidence in court. He denied some of the allegations of intimacy, suggesting that girls of that age could exaggerate or fantasize. The defense also emphasized that there was no suggestion of sexual intercourse occurring and questioned the plausibility of the elderly Falkland engaging in such activities given his infirm condition. They argued that Falkland was not a “initial corrupter,” asserting that most of the girls joined him willingly and that their interactions were motivated by amusement rather than coercion.
It was also noted that Falkland was not a wealthy man, surviving on a modest salary of £4,800 annually, which included attendance fees from the House of Lords. Despite the serious nature of the charges, the court was informed that Falkland’s conviction would not affect his seat in the House of Lords, a detail that drew attention to the intersection of aristocratic privilege and criminal conduct in this case.