OLIVIER LEGER, THE NEWINGTON PERVERT, JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN MAIDSTONE

In a case that has shocked the community of Newington and the wider Maidstone area, Olivier Leger, a 39-year-old man with a disturbing history, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a series of heinous crimes involving a teenage boy. Leger, a former police officer from High Street, Newington, exploited the anonymity of the internet to establish a sinister relationship with the 13-year-old victim.

According to court proceedings, Leger met the young boy through an online chatroom, where he initially engaged in conversation and built a deceptive rapport. Prosecutors revealed that Leger even went as far as meeting the boy’s parents, during which he falsely claimed to have a terminally ill son. This lie was part of his manipulative strategy to gain more access to the child and to spend time with him under false pretenses.

Once the trust was established, Leger arranged to meet the boy in person. The court heard that he took the young teenager to swimming baths, where he committed sexual assault and engaged in sexual acts on two separate occasions. The abuse was not limited to these encounters; Leger later had a brief sexual encounter with the boy, further demonstrating his predatory behavior.

Investigations revealed that Leger’s deception extended beyond the initial contact. He met the boy’s parents and asked for permission to take the child to visit his supposed sick son at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Prosecutors argued that this was a calculated lie designed to gain further access and to be alone with the boy, which ultimately facilitated the abuse.

Concerned parents grew suspicious of Leger’s intentions and contacted law enforcement authorities. Following his arrest, police seized his computer, uncovering a disturbing collection of digital material. The investigation found 783 images depicting child sexual abuse, classified at levels one through four, with the highest level being five. Additionally, a single video clip at level two was recovered from his device.

During the trial at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Philip Statman emphasized the significance of Leger’s visits to the boy’s home, describing them as a key element of the case. The judge stated, “This ruse allowed you to perform sexual activity with the victim,” highlighting the manipulative and deceitful nature of Leger’s conduct. The court acknowledged that while the teenager was exploring his own sexuality, Leger was fully aware of the boy’s age and the gravity of his actions.

Leger pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child and nine counts of possessing indecent images of children in February of the previous year. The images, which ranged from levels one to four, along with one video, painted a disturbing picture of his online activities.

As part of his sentence, Leger was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and was issued a sexual offences prevention order for ten years. He is also prohibited from working with children in any capacity. Judge Statman recommended that Leger undergo sex offender treatment, either while incarcerated or on license, to address his predatory behavior and prevent future offenses.