Paedophile jailed for ‘relentless’ campaign of sexual abuse is living ‘minutes from a primary school’ after being released from prison

• Alan Bright, 87, was jailed for 15 years in 2015 for 22 counts including rape

A paedophile who was jailed for a ‘relentless’ two-decade campaign of sexual abuse has been housed minutes from a primary school upon his release from prison.

Parents have been left furious after Alan Bright was spotted ‘hanging around’ Stock Church of England Primary School in Essex and even seen visiting the school library.

The former school caretaker was jailed for 15 years in 2015 for 22 counts including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency. During sentencing he was told by the judge: ‘Your abuse was relentless.’

Bright, who is understood to have been released from prison on licence in July after serving half of his sentence, was housed less than a five minute walk from the primary school without informing the headteacher or parents.

Essex Police has received a flurry of complaints from concerned parents – only to be told the force has ‘advised’ Bright not to go near the school.

Paedophile Alan Bright, 87, (pictured) was spotted ‘hanging around’ Stock Church of England Primary School in Essex and even seen visiting the school library

An email sent to parents by headteacher Alina Clay said: ‘I am aware that there are serious concerns regarding a known paedophile that has moved in to the area and the impact this may have on your children’s safety. The school wasn’t notified and I was only made aware of this by people who live in the village. 

‘The police are liaising with us and have asked us to inform you that they are dealing with the matter.’

A later email added: ‘Further to my earlier email I have been speaking with the police and they have asked me to pass this onto you: Please let parents know that police have advised him not to go near the school, library, or alleyways etc near the school.

‘If any future incidents occur and he is seen near the school, could you pass onto parents to report it with exact time, date, location.’

Bright, 87, was described as having ‘put his victims through hell’ and judge Patricia Lynch said he had ‘manipulated children in the course of [his] daily life’ and abused his position of trust by committing offences between about 1970 and 1990.

The court heard Bright, who also went by the name John, had spent years manipulating children ‘under the guise of playing games’ such as hide and seek and that the earliest instance of abuse was when he groped a 10-year-old girl on a ghost train at a funfair.

His victims were left scarred by the abuse and Detective Constable Cornelius Bowen, of Essex Police, said: ‘It has personally been one of the hardest cases I have dealt with.’

Parents have been left furious after Alan Bright was spotted ‘hanging around’ Stock Church of England Primary School in Essex and even seen visiting the school library. Pictured: Ingatestone village 

The judge sentenced Bright under the guidelines of the Sexual Offences Act 1956, which was in place when he committed the offences, but told the court that under the sentencing regime in 2015 his prison term would have been considerably higher.

One parent, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘It is absolutely ludicrous that an individual who has committed such heinous crimes against children would be housed so close to a school and preschool.

‘There is also the massive concern that the village library is on the same premises as the school, we have been given no assurances by anyone that this predator will be prevented from using it and we find this absolutely astounding and totally unacceptable.

‘Exactly who was it that decided this location was suitable for a convicted child sex offender?’

One mother who says she spotted him hanging around the school on three days reported him to the police on 7 September (ref number 0341). Parents are furious at Chelmsford City Council and have also written to express their concerns to Chelmsford MP John Whittingdale, who has taken their case to the Prison & Probation Service.

In response Phil Copple, Director General of Operations at HM Prison and Probation Service, said in a letter that he was unable to comment on specific cases but added: ‘I understand the concerns you raise. The protection of the public is of utmost priority.

‘An offender serving a determinate sentence is released automatically on licence at either the half-way or two-thirds point of the sentence, depending on its length, and subject to supervision by the probation for the remainder of the sentence.

‘The licence contains seven standard licence conditions, together with any additional conditions needed to manage specific risks.

‘Probation and police also carry out unannounced home visits, often together, to meet the individual, confirm residence and assess the ongoing suitability of the address.’

Another parent of a pupil at the primary school added: ‘We are all extremely angry and incredibly shocked, we feel our children have been put in real danger by this decision, it has caused a massive amount of unease and is a source of daily worry.

‘There are so many things put in place to keep the offender safe from public retribution, but what have the authorities actually done to protect the children at the school?

‘How can they say the protection of the public is of the utmost priority and then choose to relocate this sick individual so close to a school? It is insane and unforgivable.’

Source: Read Full Article