MICHAEL DAMON/ADAMS SENTENCED IN BEDFORD FOR SEX OFFENCES AGAINST YOUNG BOYS

In a case that has shocked the Bedford community, Michael Adams, also known previously as Michael Damon, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offences committed against three young boys during the 1980s. The court proceedings, held at Luton Crown Court, revealed disturbing details about Adams' grooming and abuse of the victims, which spanned several years and involved multiple acts of sexual assault.

Adams, now 43 years old, was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on a male, one count of indecency with a child, and an additional charge of buggery. The court was informed that Adams was already serving a prison sentence at the time of his sentencing. In December 2007, he received an indeterminate sentence after being convicted of multiple sex offences involving two young boys, including the act of buggery on one of them. The court ordered that he serve a minimum of five years before being eligible for parole.

The case took a significant turn when one of Adams’ victims, who had been subjected to abuse in the 1980s, finally found the courage to disclose his ordeal to the police. This revelation came during a hypnotherapy session aimed at helping him quit smoking. Just before the session, the victim confided in the hypnotherapist about the abuse he endured at the hands of Adams when he was only nine years old.

Prosecutor Beverley Cripps outlined the case, tracing Adams’ criminal activities back to the early 1980s when he was known as Michael Damon and living with his family in Bedford. Adams later changed his name to Michael Adams at the age of 21. During this period, he befriended two boys aged nine and twelve who lived nearby and would often visit his home to play. The court heard that Adams initially targeted the older boy, engaging in play fights in his bedroom, which gradually escalated to touching and fondling.

Furthermore, the younger boy was invited to play on a computer in Adams’ bedroom, where he was also subjected to inappropriate touching. Adams committed multiple sexual acts on this boy, with the offences continuing until Adams left Bedford to join the Royal Air Force. A third young boy, also only nine years old, was befriended by Adams, who committed a buggery offence against him. To silence the boy and prevent him from revealing the abuse, Adams gave him money, the court was told.

Adams’ defense lawyer, Chris Gair, acknowledged that his client had also been a victim of sexual abuse during his own childhood. Gair described Adams as having developed a “deviant sexual appetite,” but emphasized that his guilty pleas should be taken into account, sparing his victims the trauma of a lengthy court process.

Judge Barbara Mensah sentenced Adams to a total of ten years in prison. She described the offences as involving planning, preparation, and grooming of the young victims. Addressing Adams directly, she stated, “You were 16, a young boy, but you were old enough to know what you were doing was wrong, criminal, and destructive. Your victims were helpless in the face of your assaults on them.”

The judge further commented on the profound impact of Adams’ actions, saying, “By your conduct, you robbed these three young men of much of their childhood and significantly affected their emotional development.” As Adams was led away to begin his sentence, Judge Mensah warned him that he posed a serious danger to young people, emphasizing the gravity of his crimes and their lasting effects.