Published: 12:39PM BST 21 Sep 2009
A former carer at Jersey children's home Haut de la Garenne, Gordon Wateridge, was jailed for two years after being found guilty of a string of sex attacks on teenage girls.
Gordon Wateridge arriving at Jersey Royal Court: A former carer at Jersey children's home Haut de la Garenne, Gordon Wateridge, was jailed for two years after being found guilty of a string of sex attacks on teenage girls
Gordon Wateridge arriving at Jersey Royal Court Photo: PA
Wateridge, nicknamed ''the Perv'' by his victims, repeatedly sexually assaulted the teenagers at the home during the 1970s.
The 78-year-old, described as a ''persistent sexual bully'' during his trial, was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault and one charge of assault following a trial at Jersey's Royal Court last month.
Passing sentence today, Judge Christopher Pitchers, sitting with two Jurats, said: "What he did was rightly described in the trial as sexual bullying."
Wateridge, of St Clement, Jersey, was the first person to be charged in connection with a multimillion-pound historic abuse investigation on the Channel Island.
His trial heard that he would repeatedly grope girls' breasts, hug the teenagers inappropriately and kiss them on the neck.
He indecently assaulted three teenage girls and assaulted one teenage boy while working as a house parent at the home.
Youngsters sent to Haut de la Garenne were vulnerable and suffered from a variety of problems, the court heard.
But Croydon-born Wateridge, then in his 40s, abused his obligation to care for them and instead used his position to carry out the attacks.
Judge Pitchers said it was true that the acts carried out by Wateridge against the young girls were at the "lower end" of the sentencing guidelines, but he added: "There is no such thing as a trivial indecent assault of child."
He continued: "They were vulnerable because they were children and because they were placed in the home without the support of a loving family.
"They were entitled to expect care, love and kindness but in fact they received sexual bullying and unkindness."
Crown Advocate Stephen Baker, for the prosecution, said: "The children who lived in care at Haut de la Garenne at that time were there for different reasons.
"In the case of some children, their parents were not able to look after them due to a variety of circumstances. Health problems featured quite commonly.
"Other children had been sent by the Jersey courts to live at Haut de la Garenne because they were effectively out of parental control.
"The home also served as a place of remand.
"Regardless of how the children came to be living at Haut de la Garenne, it was naturally Wateridge's paid responsibility to care for them.
"His job was to take the place of parents as far as that could practically be done."
Mr Baker described Wateridge's behaviour as "the most flagrant breach of trust" and said the former carer repeatedly abused his three victims over a prolonged period of time.
He said: "The offences took place in a closed institution within which the accused enjoyed a position of some authority.
"The offences were committed against victims known by the accused to be more than usually vulnerable and sometimes took place in the presence of other children so as to cause particular humiliation."
Wateridge has also pleaded guilty to unrelated firearms offences, it can now be reported.
The court was told that, when police raided his home in January 2008, officers found two unlicensed air pistols, a silencer and 48 rounds of ammunition.
Mr Baker said the items were old and had been in his possession for some years.
He added: "There is no suggestion the firearms were going to be used for any criminal intent."
Advocate Michael Preston, defending, told the court that Wateridge continued to deny his guilt and was planning to appeal against the conviction.
He argued for a "merciful" sentence for Wateridge who, Mr Preston said, was "being held up as a scapegoat".
He said the offences came to light in the midst of a "worldwide media frenzy" surrounding the "discredited" police investigation into events at Haut de la Garenne.
Wateridge was jailed for 21 months for each of the eight indecent assault charges, to run concurrently, and for three months, consecutively, for the assault on the boy.
There was no separate sentence for the firearms offences.
The trial heard accounts of abuse children suffered at the hands of Wateridge.
One victim repeatedly broke down in tears as she recalled he would regularly lean out and grab her and other girls as they walked past the home's snooker table.
The woman, who was taken into the home after her father died unexpectedly, said Wateridge would push her on to the snooker table and grope her breasts and inner thighs.
Another witness was sent to Haut de la Garenne after running away from home.
She said was left feeling "dirty" after being repeatedly groped by Wateridge.
"He would do things like smacking your bottom, grabbing you and giving you bear hugs," she told the trial.
"When he grabbed you from behind, he would more often than not touch your breasts in some way."
A man who stayed at the home as a teenager said he was attacked after he told Wateridge to leave his sister alone.
The 50-year-old said he heard his sister cry out while she stood close to Wateridge.
He told the court: "He grabbed my hair and said 'Is there a problem, boy?'. I said 'no', and he pushed me to the floor."
Several people who say they were abused while living at the Jersey care home attended the court in St Helier today.
Martyn Ferry, 51, lived at Haut de la Garenne between 1968 and 1972 and is one of those suing the Jersey government.
He said he was abused outside the care home but when he reported it to workers there, the authorities failed to take him seriously.
He said: "I was happy with the sentence Wateridge received today, given his age.
"Jersey is finally waking up and dealing with what happened.
"It has been brushed under the carpet for too long."
Jersey children's home carer jailed for sex attacks
