New ISGP post on Child Abuse in EU

[Jan Klimkowski]

More on Royal butler Paul Kidd.

I note that "during his royal service (Kidd) came to boast that he had looked after three US presidents and every monarch in Europe. He also boasted that he had been awarded the Most Noble Order of Merit by the West German President".

December 22, 2008

Former royal butler Paul Kidd jailed over child sex offences

A paedophile royal butler who once introduced a young victim to the Queen Mother at a Clarence House Christmas party has been given an indeterminate jail sentence.

Paul Kidd, 55, once made a living on the after-dinner circuit telling what he described as “hilarious” anecdotes about life below stairs at Buckingham Palace, gathered from his years in royal service during the 1970s.

But he was less forthcoming about his secret life as a serial abuser of impressionable young teenagers, whom he befriended and groomed assiduously before sexually assaulting.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar described him as a dangerous man who posed a risk to every teenage boy he met before jailing him at Minshull Street Crown Court, in Manchester, for a notional sentence of 12 years. He said he would have to serve a minimum of six years before he could be considered for release.

Kidd, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, had already pleaded guilty to nine offences of indecent assault, sexual activity with a boy, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs and possessing indecent images of children. The charges relate to historic abuse against three separate individuals dating back 32 years to 1975.

Kidd began work as butler to the Queen in 1976 and remained at the Palace for six years before transferring to Clarence House, where he performed a similar role for the Queen Mother.

During his royal service he came to boast that he had looked after three US presidents and every monarch in Europe. He also boasted that he had been awarded the Most Noble Order of Merit by the West German President.

After he left Clarence House, he advertised himself as a royal expert ready to give lectures around the world about what made the Queen smile, ‘those damn corgies’, the ghillies at Balmoral Castle and the ‘Queen Mother’s whip’.

His secret life as a predatory groomer of boys as young as 12 emerged last year after he gave an interview in a local newspaper as part of the coverage of the tenth anniverary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. It prompted one of his victims, now in his forties, to come forward to complain that Kidd had abused him in the early 1980s when he was 13.

Nicola Gatto, for the prosecution, told the court that Kidd would befriend his victims’ parents as part of the grooming process, and would indulge his victims with treats and trips before sexually assaulting them.

In 1974, he took a 14-year-old on holiday to the Lake District before the abuse began. Later he took him to Clarence House, where he was introduced to the Queen Mother over tea.

Another victim, identified only as Victim A, was 14-years-old in 1981 when Kidd invited him to his flat to discuss a shared interest in CB radios after befriending his parents to gain their trust.

After arranging the visit on the pretext that atmospheric conditions were conducive to CB radio early in the morning, he indecently assaulted him.

A third, more recent, victim, identified as Victim B, was 12 or 13 when he was invited by Kidd to look at his autograph collection of Manchester United players. The abuse began when he was 14-years-old.

Ms Gatto described how Kidd introduced the teenager to another man, 57-year-old David Hobday, of Dukinfield, Tameside, who was also invited to abuse him. Their victim, a vulnerable lonely boy, said he believed he had a duty to please them.

In their impact statements the victims each described how they believed their sexual innocence had been destroyed. One said he felt his whole life was a lie, another resorted to drug addiction because he felt violated and the third said he would have to carry feelings of shame and guilt for the rest of his life.

When police raided Kidd’s home they found CD discs containing more than 18,000 indecent images of children.

Another disc showed him engaging in sexual activity with a young teenager. When asked about it in interview, he said: “I know which clip you are talking about and he is 17-years-old. It was just messing about.”

Saul Brody, Kidd’s defence counsel, acknowledged that the nature of his offences would give his client pariah status inside jail. Incarcaration would be an excruciating experience.

His service in the royal household at least demonstrated a sense of duty, obedience and service, he said. In effect he acknowledged Kidd’s life was ruined.

Jailing him, Judge Khokhar told Kidd he was a dangerous man who posed a risk to all the young people he might come across.

Hobday, who pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and possessing an indecent image, was jailed for three years.

Detective Constable James Teggart, of the Child Protection Unit, based at Ashton-under-Lyne, described the abuse meted out by Kidd as “nothing short of monstrous”.

He said: “The pair are sexual predators who have manipulated their victims and subjected them to the most horrific abuse time and again. The victims have had their childhoods taken away from them and will have to deal with what they have been put through for the rest of their lives.

“I would like to praise the courage of those who came forward and helped bring this evil pair to justice”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk...t=0&page=1