TONY CHILDS FROM SHEPTON MALLET AND SHOEBURY FACES SERIOUS CHARGES IN EXETER AND TAUNTON

In a series of disturbing incidents spanning several years, Tony Childs, a man originally from Shepton Mallet and Shoebury, has been involved in multiple criminal cases that have garnered significant attention from law enforcement authorities.

In December 2017, Childs was remanded in custody following allegations of a serious sexual assault involving a seven-year-old boy in Wells. The incident occurred as the young child was walking to the toilets at The Quarter Jack pub on Priory Road. According to reports, Childs allegedly followed the boy and committed an assault by putting his hand down the child's trousers. The child's mother was informed of the incident after her son disclosed what had happened, prompting her to return to the pub and report the matter to the police. Childs, then aged 48 and residing on Cowl Street in Shepton Mallet, pleaded not guilty to charges of intentionally touching a boy under 13 years old and having unsupervised contact with a child under 16. Prosecutor Christine Hart stated that Childs claimed he had tripped and fallen into the boy, asserting that his contact was accidental and meant to steady himself. The magistrates deemed the case sufficiently serious to warrant a trial at Taunton Crown Court, and the proceedings were scheduled for January 4, with Childs remaining in custody until then.

Earlier, in August 2017, Childs faced legal trouble related to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) issued after his previous conviction for sexual offences. Despite being prohibited from viewing certain explicit material, police discovered that Childs had been searching for images of young children in gymnastics poses and 'upskirt' footage on YouTube. This breach led to his arrest at his home in Shepton Mallet. During the court hearing at Yeovil, Childs admitted to having a persistent sexual interest in children and explained that viewing such images temporarily made him feel better. He expressed a desire to seek help from the Probation Service to prevent future offending. Childs pleaded guilty to breaching the SOPO, which had been imposed by Luton Crown Court in December 2011, by using the internet to search for inappropriate content between June 18 and August 16 of the previous year. The restrictions of the SOPO included a ban on internet access except for specific purposes such as education, banking, and shopping. A police home visit on August 10 revealed that Childs had visited the prohibited content on multiple occasions. When questioned, he admitted to having a sexual interest in children and explained that he had been feeling low following the end of a long-term relationship. He acknowledged that his actions were wrong and expressed remorse, stating that he had turned to the internet for comfort during a difficult period.

Going further back, in April 2002, Childs was sentenced to five years in prison for a series of heinous sexual assaults on young girls. The case, which took place in Southend, involved Childs, then aged 32, who admitted to seven counts of indecent assault and had seven additional charges taken into account. He was a teacher at Blenheim Primary School in Leigh at the time. The court heard that Childs derived a perverted thrill from his crimes, which involved girls aged between five and twelve. Judge Philip Clegg described the offences as shocking and noted that Childs had shown some remorse for his actions. The judge also ordered that Childs be placed on the national sex offenders' register for life, with a stipulation that any re-offending within two years of release would result in immediate re-imprisonment. The victims' parents, present in court, expressed their distress as the judge condemned the acts. Childs's legal representative highlighted his remorse and lack of excuses for his conduct, emphasizing his desire to apologize to the victims and their families. The case prompted Southend Council to review and strengthen its child protection procedures to ensure the safety of children in the community.

Most recently, in January 2020, Childs, now residing in Bridgewater, pleaded guilty at Exeter Crown Court to charges related to his past offences. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and is currently detained at Dartmoor Prison. This latest conviction underscores the ongoing concerns surrounding Childs's criminal behavior and the efforts of law enforcement to hold him accountable for his actions across multiple locations, including Shepton Mallet, Shoebury, Wells, and Bridgewater.