MARTYN LITTELL FROM CROYDON AND WEST WICKHAM JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND SEX OFFENCES

In April 2014, the criminal case against Martyn Littell, a man with a disturbing history of child abuse, reached a grim conclusion as he was sentenced to six years in prison for a series of heinous crimes committed in Croydon and West Wickham. Littell, aged 40, was convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting young boys, some as young as four years old, in his own flat, which he shared with his wife. The court heard that Littell had lured five boys, aged between four and ten, into his home by offering them sweets and chocolates, exploiting their innocence to commit his crimes.

During the trial at Croydon Crown Court, evidence was presented that Littell had engaged in grooming behaviors, including playing football with the children near his residence in Croydon, which he used as a means to gain their trust. The jury found him guilty of two counts of child abduction, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of performing a sex act on an eight-year-old boy. Additionally, Littell was convicted of nine counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possession of such images. The court was told that Littell had used sweets and chocolates to entice the children into undressing, and that he had inappropriately touched two of the boys, aged eight and nine, in an underground car park.

One of the victims, a six-year-old boy, recounted how Littell had offered him sweets in exchange for undressing. The boy refused but saw his friends putting on their clothes in Littell’s bedroom. The eight-year-old victim also revealed that Littell performed a sex act on him, an incident the boy confided in his mother after witnessing the abuse. Littell denied all allegations, claiming the accusations were revenge for a dispute over a broken jar in his flat. However, the jury found him guilty on all counts.

Further details emerged about Littell’s past, revealing that he had previously worked at NatWest in Goodman’s Fields, Aldgate, where he was employed in the IT department. It was also disclosed that he had volunteered with the Scouts in Bromley between 1990 and 1994, and had coached a children’s football team, the Junior Reds FC under-nines, in South-East London under his original name, Martyn Freak. Colleagues from his former workplace, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled that he was nicknamed “Freaky” due to his original surname. They expressed their disgust upon learning of his conviction, which they discovered through an online news story.

It was only about ten years prior to his arrest that Littell changed his name from Martyn Freak to Martyn Littell, just before getting married. The change of name, along with his past volunteer work and coaching, raised concerns about how much access to children he had during that period. The former colleagues last saw Littell five years ago during reunions from their time at Goodman’s Fields. The Scouts confirmed that a Martyn Freak had volunteered in Bromley during the early 1990s, adding to the troubling picture of his involvement with children.

Following his conviction, Judge Jeremy Gold sentenced Littell to six years in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community. Littell’s move to West Wickham after the abuse did not prevent his arrest and subsequent sentencing, which serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by individuals who exploit their positions of trust to commit such grave offenses.