A PERVERT who changed his name after he was locked up for molesting two children has been jailed for another string of sex crimes.
Harry Oldfield was sent to detention aged just 17 for indecently assaulting two children under 10.
Then he became known as John Scott Mathers, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Years after the indecent assaults which first put him behind bars, he struck again.
He subjected a very young boy to repeated sexual assaults in the 1980s. These crimes came to light decades later, by which time the victim was a married dad. Last year he confided to his wife what happened to him as a child.
When police raided Mathers’ home, they found almost 600 child abuse images on his computer.
The photographs included almost 100 pictures at the most severe levels in law.
Mathers, 47, also had six illegal “cartoons” of children.
Most Read
He tried to use software to cover his tracks.
The victim of the sex attacks told of their profound effects in a statement read in court yesterday.
He said he thought “Why me?” and struggled to understand and cope with the abuse.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “He’s ruined my life.” He said he couldn’t trust people, felt alone and suppressed his feelings, affecting his mental health. He felt he couldn’t be “the husband and father my wife and children deserved”.
He said it was a terrible, frightening and upsetting experience to tell of his ordeals.
But he was glad he did so and it marked the start of his recovery.
He added: “I’ll never forgive him for what he’s done. I’m getting better but I’ll never forget.”
Don’t miss
Mathers, of Fulbeck Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child. He also admitted 17 counts of making indecent photographs and children and one of having prohibited images of children - the six drawings.
Brian Russell, defending, said the defendant showed remorse and asked for credit for his pleas.
Judge Peter Armstrong jailed Mathers for three years – 30 months for the indecent assaults plus six months for the images.
Mathers was given a sexual offences prevention order banning him from unsupervised contact with under-16s and governing his use of internet and digital image devices, he was banned from working with children and will be on the sex offenders’ register, all indefinitely.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Ged Swash from Cleveland Police said afterwards: “Police commend the bravery of the victim and the support he was provided by his family.
“The sentence given should deter other offenders from committing offences against children.
“Mathers has shown a gross interest in child abuse images which he tried to hide using anti-forensic software.”