MARK RICHARDS PLYMOUTH SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR ABUSE OF SCHOOLGIRLS

In a case that has shocked the community of Plymouth, Mark Richards, aged 41, was convicted of heinous crimes involving the indecent assault of two young girls who had been invited into his home under the pretense of play. The incidents, which spanned over a period of several years, came to light only after one of the victims confided in her mother a decade later, prompting a police investigation that uncovered disturbing details about Richards' actions.

According to court reports, Richards repeatedly lured one girl to his residence on multiple occasions. During these visits, he employed innocent-seeming games such as hide-and-seek as a means to isolate her and commit acts of molestation. The girl, whose identity remains protected, endured at least five separate assaults during these encounters. The second girl, who came forward later, revealed that during sleepovers at Richards' house, he would wake her up and take her downstairs to watch television, only to then indecently assault her on ten different occasions. Prosecutor Nick Lewin highlighted that these assaults often occurred when Richards' wife was away, either at work or out playing bingo, suggesting a pattern of premeditated abuse.

Richards pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault—one for each girl. The court was informed that the first girl was subjected to these assaults at least five times, while the second girl was assaulted on ten separate occasions. During the investigation, authorities seized Richards' laptop, which contained a disturbing collection of indecent images of children. The images were classified into various levels of severity, with 315 at level one (least serious), 66 at level two, 55 at level three, and 28 at level four. Additionally, he possessed 35 images of extreme adult pornography. These findings painted a disturbing picture of Richards' online activity.

Initially, Richards denied all allegations and refused to comment when questioned about his sexual interests in children. However, he later admitted guilt in court. His defense attorney, Andrew Maitland, expressed remorse on his client's behalf, stating that Richards unreservedly apologized for his actions. Maitland emphasized that the offenses occurred over a seven-month period in 1999 and that Richards was deeply remorseful.

During his 211 days in remand, Richards was held in a specialized prison wing but was unable to access any form of treatment or counseling. Despite this, he expressed a willingness to cooperate with any future treatment programs aimed at addressing his behavior.

High Court Judge the Hon Mr Justice Royce, addressing Richards directly, condemned his actions, stating, "You took terrible advantage of these very young girls. You were clearly in a position of trust and grossly abused that position of trust."

In sentencing, Richards was given a total of five years in prison for the indecent assaults, along with an additional nine months for the possession of indecent images. The total sentence was calculated as five years nine months, minus the 211 days he had already served on remand. The judge also ordered Richards to register as a sex offender and imposed a Sexual Offending Prevention Order to monitor his future conduct.