Sheppey child abuser caged
by Keith Hunt
A former school governor has been jailed for four years for
sexually assaulting a young girl several years ago.
Andrew Lain was said to have a lack of boundaries at his home
and an unorthodox lifestyle.
He was convicted on October 27 of two charges of sexual activity
with a child in majority verdicts of 11-1 and 10-2.
The 45-year-old nudist was cleared of seven similar charges, one
of causing a child to watch a sexual act and one of sexual assault
involving three other girls. Lain, an ex-London bus driver, of
Broad Street, Sheerness, denied all the charges.
But his lawyer said at the sentencing hearing that he "now
appears to accept the reality of what happened all those years
ago".
A jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard that after Lain molested
the 12-year-old girl the matter was investigated the following year
but police decided there was insufficient evidence to try him.
The case was reopened four years later after pornographic images
were found on a laptop
Lain had also been accused of encouraging girls to drink and
take drugs before indulging in sex with each other and to taking
advantage of a "permissive environment".
He was cleared of allegations he filmed two girls having sex
with each other on a webcam and showing one girl pornographic
pictures on his laptop.
Prosecutor Sarah Campbell told the jury of six men and six women
Lain fostered a permissive environment in relation to both drugs
and alcohol.
Lain, who was asked to step down as a governor at Cheyne Middle
School when the allegations surfaced, told how he visited nudist
clubs and took naturist holidays in Europe.
He told the jury: "I have been known to slap a bum in jest."
Judge Philip Statman told Lain he had contested the case, as was
his right, but the victim had to relive her ordeal in the witness
box.
"She has a robust approach to getting on with her life but it
awoke all that happened all those years ago," he added.
Lain, said to be in poor health and suffering from depression,
will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
A sexual offences prevention order was imposed and he will be
banned from working with children.
23/11/11
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