ROGER POULTON'S SHOCKING ABUSE IN ILFRACOMBE AND WARWICK REVEALED ON FACEBOOK
In a case that has shocked the communities of Ilfracombe and Warwick, a man named Roger Poulton has been convicted of multiple serious sexual offenses against three young girls.The allegations came to light after the victims, who had endured abuse years earlier, connected through Facebook and shared their childhood experiences, leading to a joint realization that prompted them to report the crimes to the authorities.
Roger Poulton, aged 52 and a former taxi driver from Ilfracombe, now residing on Grenville Road in Warwick, faced a lengthy trial at Exeter Crown Court.
The jury found him guilty of eleven counts of sexual misconduct, with the offenses dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, a period when Poulton was living in Ilfracombe.
The court heard that two of the victims, who were approximately ten years old at the time, had been molested while Poulton was babysitting them at their home in Ilfracombe.
The third victim, who was 15 years old at the time, was also subjected to inappropriate touching by Poulton.
Throughout the trial, Poulton maintained his innocence, denying all 16 charges of indecent assault and gross indecency brought against him.
However, the jury convicted him of five counts of indecent assault and six counts of indecency with a child.
He was acquitted of five other charges of indecent assault.
The court proceedings revealed that Poulton had abused the younger girls when they were left alone with him in their home, often during activities such as watching television or taking baths.
The victims did not initially report the abuse at the time it occurred, but they later confided in each other and decided to come forward after exchanging messages on Facebook in 2010.
During the five-day trial, the court heard detailed accounts from the victims about how Poulton repeatedly touched them inappropriately during their childhood.
The incidents spanned from 1986 to 1994 in Ilfracombe.
Poulton, who denied the allegations, claimed that the girls had fabricated the stories against him.
Following his conviction, Poulton was remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing by Judge Graham Cottle.
The case has brought to light the importance of social media in uncovering hidden crimes and the long-lasting impact of childhood abuse.
