PAEDOPHILE HIT BOY WITH PADDLE AND MOLESTED HIM, SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS
A twisted paedophile hit a little boy with a wooden paddle then molested him in a disturbing attack.Former nurse Paul Clarke, 55, was convicted of four offences of taking [indecent images of children](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/paedophile-plans-violent-tinder-rape-17640417) in 1996.
But he didn't reveal this information to the family of a young child and was trusted to look after him on more than one occasion.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Clarke, then 53, got drunk when with the boy.
The boy said he then got out his "slapper stick" or "whacker" which he used to hit his bottom, before fondling his penis.
When confronted by the boy's family, Clarke, of Walkers Lane, [St Helens](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/st-helens), denied any wrongdoing, but his home was later searched by police.
They found more than 202 Category C indecent images of young girls on a pen drive and seized the wooden paddle.
The court found Clarke guilty of sexual assault and possessing indecent images of children.
He insisted he wasn't [sexually interested in children](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/paedophile-teacher-sex-pupil-home-17708685), but was challenged about his past convictions.
He said he was observed taking photos of young girls dancing in a park, who were partly undressed, so his home was searched.
Clarke claimed officers found photos including naked children with rashes, but told the jury this was part of his research as a nurse.
He also said he bought the pen drive at a car boot sale and never opened it.
The victim's family statement described how the abuse affected his sense of safety.
The boy said he wants to forget about the incident and move on.
The judge, Mr.
Cummings, sentenced Clarke to three years in prison and ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
The judge noted Clarke's caring for his disabled mum and said that incarceration would have significant detrimental consequences for her, but emphasized that Clarke's actions caused serious harm, especially given his past conviction for indecent images of children.
