2009 Plymouth child abuse case

English Paedophile ring November 2023 July 2013 The 2009 Plymouth child abuse case was a child abuse and paedophile ring involving at least five adults from different parts of England. The case centred on photographs taken of up to 64 children by Vanessa George, a nursery worker in Plymouth. It highlighted the issue of child molestation by women, as all but one of the members of the ring were female. History Vanessa George, a mother of two, worked for Little Teds Nursery in Plymouth, an unincorporated not-for-profit association. Between late 2008 and early 2009, Vanessa George, Colin Blanchard and Angela Allen met on Facebook,http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283413.stm Chilling bond between online abusers Kay Jon 1 October 2009 BBC News 15 December 2009 and then started to email and text message each other. The messages were often of a sexual nature, and moved on to child abuse. The police believed that the three were having a contest to see who could produce the most depraved picture. George started taking indecent pictures of children between the ages of two and five at the nursery where she worked, and also a picture of her then 14-year-old daughter. George would often send Blanchard material captured during her working hours, and Blanchard would share them with Allen. A fourth member of the ring, Tracy Lyons, a mother of nine from Portsmouth, Hampshire, pleaded guilty in March 2010 to assault of a child by penetration, sexual assault of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and three offences of distributing indecent photographs of a child. A fifth member of the ring, Tracy Dawber, a care worker from Southport, in Merseyside, was found guilty of one count of sexually abusing a baby in October 2010.http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/48291/member-of-a-rochdale-mans-paedophile-ring-convicted https://web.archive.org/web/20101021084529/http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/48291/member-of-a-rochdale-mans-paedophile-ring-convicted usurped 21 October 2010 Member of a Rochdale man's paedophile ring convicted Rochdaleonline.co.uk 6 January 2011 Vanessa George Vanessa Sylvia Marks yes 1970 03 30 Plymouth, England Sexual Indeterminate imprisonment sentence (minimum 7 years) Nursery worker Angela Allen yes 1960 12 07 Manchester, England Sexual Indeterminate imprisonment sentence (minimum 5 years) Prostitute traffic wardenhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6249624/Nursery-worker-child-sex-abuse-case-Angela-Allen-profile.html The Daily Telegraph London Nigel Bunyan Richard Savill Nursery worker child sex abuse case: Angela Allen profile 1 October 2009http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8282764.stm BBC News Sarah White Dan Bell Spotlight on trio of child abusers 1 October 2009 Colin Blanchard yes 1970 10 05http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/police-force-probe-snared-child-sex-abusers/story-12225802-detail/story.html Three police force probe that snared child sex abusers 19 September 2012 This is Nottingham 20 December 2017 dead https://archive.today/20120919153458/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/police-force-probe-snared-child-sex-abusers/story-12225802-detail/story.html 19 September 2012 Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England Sexual Indeterminate imprisonment sentence (minimum 9 years) IT consultant Tracy Lyons yes 1970 01 08http://www.click-manchester.com/news/national-news/1212001-manchester-man-sentenced-for-child-sex-offences.html Three sentenced for child sex offences Click Manchester https://web.archive.org/web/20140313194924/http://www.click-manchester.com/news/national-news/1212001-manchester-man-sentenced-for-child-sex-offences.html 13 March 2014 Portsmouth, England Sexual 7 years Tracy Dawber yes 1966 06 13 Southport, England Sexual 4 years Community care worker The investigation and arrests In June 2009, a colleague of Colin Blanchard turned on Blanchard's laptop computer to research Blanchard's business dealings whilst Blanchard was abroad. The colleague found images of sexual abuse of babies and toddlers, which he reported to Greater Manchester Police. Police searched Blanchard's computer, and arrested him upon his return to England. Police found indecent images on his computer, and emails and texts between himself, Vanessa George and Angela Allen. On the evening of 8 June, police arrested George, a worker at Little Teds Nursery in Plymouth. George appeared in court on 11 June on charges of sexual assault and making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6471327.ece Little Ted's nursery worker Vanessa George charged with child abuse Simon de Bruxelles 11 June 2009 The Times 15 December 2009 LondonSeptember 2024 medicmedic George admitted to making 124 indecent images of children, targeting the young children of the nursery. George did not include the faces of these victims in her photographs, which made it difficult for the police to identify specific victims. Sentencing The trial was presided over by Mr Justice Royce. George pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault, and six of making and distributing indecent pictures of children. On 15 December 2009 George was given an indeterminate sentence, and told that she would serve at least seven years, with the proviso that she must prove she is safe to society before being released.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8345756.stm Nursery paedophile Vanessa George jailed indefinitely 15 December 2009 BBC News 15 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20091221025018/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8345756.stm 21 December 2009 live Allen pleaded guilty to distributing an indecent image, and four counts of sexual assault; all of the offences involved children.http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/local-news/spoilt_brat_who_became_evil_paedophile_1_677467 'Spoilt brat' who became 'evil' paedophile 18 December 2009 Hucknall Dispatch 20 December 2017 On 15 December she was also given an indeterminate sentence, with a minimum tariff of five years. On 10 January 2011, Blanchard was given an indeterminate sentence of at least nine years, and two other members of the paedophile ring, Tracy Dawber and Tracy Lyons, were sentenced to four and seven years respectively.http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/01/10/merseyside-paedophiles-colin-blanchard-and-tracy-dawber-sentenced-100252-27961489/ Merseyside paedophiles Colin Blanchard and Tracy Dawber sentenced 10 January 2011 Liverpool Echo 10 January 2011 Book controversy In March 2010, a book written by Wensley Clarkson, Vanessa: A Portrait of Evil caused controversy when parents of the victims protested against its publication, calling it 'sick' and saying they were 'horrified'. The author defended his position on the book, claiming it was written as an attempt to understand what George did and why she did it.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8549097.stm Anger at book about nursery paedophile Vanessa George 4 March 2010 BBC News 4 March 2010 Release of Lyons from prison Lyons was released from prison in October 2011, nine months after her conviction, having spent two years in prison. Her release was condemned by child protection charity Kidscape, with a spokesperson Claude Knights stating: "This early release is a betrayal of the victims and their families whose suffering will continue for years."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15259584 Anger over paedophile's release 11 October 2011 BBC News 20 December 2017 Legacy The case prompted an increased recognition of the problem of female paedophiles, sex offenders, and the scale of their offending, with one estimate suggesting that at least 10% of sex offenders are female.http://www.stopitnow.org.uk/files/child%20protection%20charity%20calls%20for%20recognition%20of%20scale%20of%20female%20sexual%20offending.pdf Child Protection Charity Calls for Recognition of Scale of Female Sexual Offending The Lucy Faithfull Foundation 15 December 2009 14 October 2012 13 March 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140313195548/http://www.stopitnow.org.uk/files/child%20protection%20charity%20calls%20for%20recognition%20of%20scale%20of%20female%20sexual%20offending.pdf dead http://www.williams-thomas.co.uk/?q=system/files/The%20Vanessa%20George%20case%20reveals%20the%20hidden%20face%20of%20female%20depravity.pdf The Vanessa George case reveals the hidden face of female depravity Mark Williams-Thomas 10 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051952/http://www.williams-thomas.co.uk/?q=system%2Ffiles%2FThe%20Vanessa%20George%20case%20reveals%20the%20hidden%20face%20of%20female%20depravity.pdf 22 December 2017 dead The case also challenged the false stereotype that only men sexually abuse children. Previously some had attempted to blame the behaviour of female child sexual abusers on men, suggesting that the female child sex abusers were usually acting under duress or coercion. The case showed that the perpetrators were acting of their own free will and for their own sexual gratification. A similar pattern emerged in January 2019, when Sophie Elms, a 17-year-old childcare student in Royal Wootton Bassett, was jailed for seven years and ten months after sexually assaulting two girls aged two and three and filming the abuse to send to convicted sex offender David Geering.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-47027082 Paedophile Sophie Elms, 18, of Royal Wootton Bassett jailedhttps://www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/wiltshire-teen-abused-tots-released/ Wiltshire teen nursery worker who abused tots released from prison Michele Elliott of child protection charity Kidscape stated "the reality is women abuse, women abuse without men telling them to abuse, and I think we have to acknowledge it for the sake of the children who are being abused." The case also promoted calls for more research into the offending of female paedophiles.http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Female-Paedophilia-The-Ultimate-Taboo---The-Scale-Of-Sexual-Abuse-By-Women/Article/200910115396996 Female paedophilia Sky News 6 January 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091005034553/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Female-Paedophilia-The-Ultimate-Taboo---The-Scale-Of-Sexual-Abuse-By-Women/Article/200910115396996 5 October 2009 Covington Coline http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/54292,news-comment,news-politics,women-paedophiles-come-out-of-hiding Women paedophiles come out of hiding The First Post 5 October 2009 6 January 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20091010043327/http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/54292,news-comment,news-politics,women-paedophiles-come-out-of-hiding 10 October 2009 The case prompted Plymouth City Council to launch a serious case review, the report of which was published on 4 November 2010. It concluded that while ultimate responsibility for the abuse rested with George and that no "professional could have reasonably predicted that George might be a risk to children", there were several failings in the nursery's management, recruitment, staff reporting and other arrangements, which had "provided an ideal environment" for her to abuse. It also speculated that either a 2008 Ofsted inspection of the nursery just months before, which rated the nursery "good" for child protection, had not been adequate, or that Ofsted's "framework for inspection is not adequate".https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11682161 Little Ted's was 'ideal' place for Vanessa George abuse 4 November 2010 4 November 2010 BBC News https://web.archive.org/web/20101104095458/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11682161 4 November 2010 live Little Ted's, the private nursery where the abuse took place, was situated in the grounds of Laira Green Primary School. The nursery closed at the time of the first arrests, in June 2009. In September 2010 a new facility opened in its place, a pre-school unit named Greenshoots, which was to be managed jointly with the school, with the school head teacher on its board of trustees.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11164149 Pre-school facility replaces Vanessa George nursery 2 September 2010 2 September 2010 BBC News https://web.archive.org/web/20100903035210/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11164149 3 September 2010 live Release of Vanessa George Vanessa George was released from prison in September 2019 after serving ten years in prison. The parole board approved her release in July 2019.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/11/britains-worst-female-paedophile-released-prison/ Britain's worst female paedophile to be released from prison Evans Martin 2019-07-11 The Telegraph 2019-09-06 en-GB 0307-1235 References Further reading http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8380975.stm Nursery abuser's trail of damage Morris Jonathan 15 December 2009 BBC News 15 December 2009 Wonnacott Jane Keeping children safe in nurseries: A focus on culture and context Journal of Sexual Aggression 19 6 December 2012 32–45 10.1080/13552600.2012.747631 72283963 Elliott Ian A. Ashfield Sherry The use of online technology in the modus operandi of female sex offenders Journal of Sexual Aggression 1 March 2011 17 1 92–104 10.1080/13552600.2010.537379 144651329 Plymouth child abuse case Plymouth child abuse case Plymouth child abuse case Category:2000s in Devon Category:2000s trials Category:2010s trials Category:21st century in Plymouth, Devon Category:Child abuse incidents and cases Category:Child pornography Category:Child sexual abuse in England Category:Children's rights in England Category:Crime in Devon Category:Pedophilia Category:Sex crime trials Category:Trials in England Category:Incidents of violence against girls Category:British serial rapists