PAUL MARSHALL FROM BEDFONT AND FELTHAM SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND PHOTOGRAPHY CRIMES

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Bedfont and Feltham, Paul Marshall, a 49-year-old man with a troubling history of involvement in community roles such as scoutmaster, Sunday school teacher, and church warden, has been sentenced to two years in prison for serious child abuse offenses. The court also imposed a lifelong ban on him working with children and ordered him to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

Marshall’s criminal activities came to light after he was initially convicted last year for two counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency involving children aged ten and under. At that time, he was residing on Dennison Road in Feltham. Unbeknownst to the police, he was also secretly filming and photographing his abusive acts, storing these illicit images on his personal computer. The judge at Isleworth Crown Court, upon sentencing him, requested a thorough investigation into his computer equipment, which subsequently uncovered further disturbing evidence.

Following this investigation, Marshall was brought back before the court, where he admitted to an additional ten charges related to three young children he had befriended and groomed for sexual abuse. Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones detailed that Marshall had targeted children from disadvantaged families, exploiting their vulnerabilities under the guise of offering help. The charges against him spanned a period from November 2001 to November 2002 and included multiple counts of indecent assault, gross indecency, and possession of indecent photographs.

Specifically, Marshall faced accusations of indecently assaulting a four-year-old boy and girls aged seven and ten. He was also charged with gross indecency with the seven-year-old girl, and with taking and possessing numerous indecent photographs—five of which depicted sexual acts, and five of which he admitted to possessing. Additionally, he was charged with possessing 44 other indecent images and with inciting a child to indecently assault another, although he denied the final charge and the possession of the photographs.

Marshall’s arrest in November 2002 was initially triggered by suspicions of molesting the older girl. His defense lawyer, John Alban-Williams, argued that had the investigation been more comprehensive from the outset, the case could have been resolved earlier, in May of the previous year. The lawyer also highlighted that Marshall had been a respected member of the community before these allegations surfaced, and that he now lives with his mother in West View, Bedfont.

Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson sentenced Marshall to two years in prison, emphasizing that his actions represented a gross breach of trust, especially given his previous community involvement. The court also extended Marshall’s license for an additional three years after his release, meaning he will remain under supervision for a period beyond his incarceration.

Detective Constable Gill Holland, a member of the Child Protection team, commented on the case, stating, “He has always put himself in a position of contact with children,” underscoring the danger posed by individuals like Marshall who exploit their roles within the community for harmful purposes.