Locations
No fixed address & Burnopfield, Newcastle
Description
A paedophile voyeur who carried out the horrific sexual abuse of two children has been caged for 13 years.
Keith Lynch groomed and sexually abused two children and even managed to set up a covert camera to film one of them as they undressed. The 47-year-old also took indecent photographs of one child and saved the images to an SD card.
Lynch, of no fixed address, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for charges of sexual assault, indecent assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent pictures, voyeurism and making indecent images of children. He had been found guilty of the offences after a trial.
Also appearing at the same hearing was his co-accused, Mark Smith, 39, of Burnopfield, Newcastle, who was being sentenced for three counts of sexual activity with a child. The offences involved one of the children that Lynch had also abused and he had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Philip Morley, prosecuting, said that Lynch sexually abused two children and also set up a secret camera so that he could watch one of them undress. He also took naked pictures of a child and had stored images to an SD card. He was later found in possession of category A, B and C indecent images.
The court heard that when Smith was in his mid-20s, he began to carry out sexual activity with one of the children and was unaware of Lynch's abuse. The court heard that Smith stopped his offending after he was caught on one occasion.
In a statement, one victim - who is now an adult - said the abuse had left them "sad and angry" and said Lynch had told them "not to tell anyone". The second victim said they were made to feel the abuse was their fault.
The court heard that both Lynch and Smith were of previous good character.
Brian Mark, defending Lynch, said he carried out "very serious offences" but explained that he could not fully mitigate as Lynch had been found guilty after a trial. He said: "In my respectful submission, I would invite your honour to pass the least sentence commensurate with your public duty."
Sue Hirst, defending Smith, said he had not carried out any further offending in the time since and that he had no knowledge of Lynch's offending. She said: "He is taking tablets for depression and is genuinely a hard working man. He moved into the retail sector and secured full time employment.
"He then lost his job following his guilty plea to these matters but intends to find further employment in the future. He is keen to move forward in a productive manner."
Sentencing Smith, Judge Jo Kidd said he "groomed" the child by "putting them at ease". He was jailed for two years and will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. A 10-year sexual harm prevention order and 10 year restraining order were also imposed.
Sentencing Lynch, Judge Kidd said: "Your sexual interest in children is embedded and you've taken each and every opportunity when you have been alone with children to sexually abuse and groom them." Lynch was jailed for 13 years and will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely. An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also imposed, as well as a 10 year restraining order.