'Trusted' teen touched up brothers aged under eight in Cornwall

A mother has spoken about how the man she trusted with her children "robbed them of their childhood" and "took her children away" when he abused them as their babysitter.

Edward Walker, 30, pleaded guilty in Truro Crown Court on the first day of his trial last month to four counts of indecently touching a boy aged under 13 and that touching was sexual. As he was being sentenced today (Tuesday, April 30), the court heard how, while aged 16 to 19, he was alone with the victims in Mullion on the Lizard peninsula.

Ed Bailey, prosecuting, told the court that Walker touched up one brother who was aged under seven and the other aged under eight. The sexual offences came to light years later when the young boy made a complaint to his school about Walker, saying he had forced him to kiss him. He said Walker rubbed his inner thighs and chest, put his arm around him and even pulled his pants down or laid with him in bed on another occasion.

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The shocking revelation led to the older brother revealing his own abuse at the hands of Walker. This included Walker being on top of him on the floor and forcing him to kiss him before he could be released from Walker's grip. The court also heard how Walker told the boys not to disclose the sexual touching, something they said in their personal victim impact statements had haunted them for years afterwards.

The younger boy, now a young adult, said in his statement read out in court today that he had been left "very confused and scared" by what Walker did. He said: "I still think about it. I feel it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I have had a hard time with people touching me in certain places. I joined the Royal Navy but had to come home because I didn't want to discuss my appearance at the court case with other people as I am ashamed. This has made me anxious and I have a hard time meeting new people. I am still struggling with what happened."

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His brother said that for years he had suppressed what happened to him at the hands of Walker. In his own victim impact statement he said: "I felt confused and weird by what happened. shook off the thought that someone like him would do something like this. But I buried the memory until four years ago when it came flooding back. I felt creeped out and shocked that it had happened.

"I felt at a loss at what happened. I felt embarrassed about telling other people. I tried to move on with my life but decided to come forward when I found out it happened to my brother too."

He added: "I learnt to move on but I will never forget or forgive you for what you did especially to my brother."

Their mother took to the witness box today and battled through tears to express her horror and sadness at what was done to her sons when they were young by someone they trusted.

She told Walker that the sexual assault on her boys had changed them forever. She said their changed behaviour had then made sense in light of what happened to them. She added: "They no longer gave me a kiss outside the school gate. I remember the night terrors. Their childhood was taken away from them. You have taken our sons from us. We trusted you and that's how you repaid us."

Michael Green, defending, said Walker had never again re-offended and there was little prospect of re-offending. Mr Green told the court: "He is in a relationship. His partner knows about this case. He is in full-time employment. He was between 16 and 19 at the time of these offences. He is not a danger to others."

Judge Robert Linford said Walker, from Faccombe, Hampshire, abused a position of trust and his action had a profound effect on his victims ever since. Judge Linford said Walker had tried to force the boys not to disclose the abuse to anyone but he accepted that he had also accepted what he had done and shown remorse for his actions.

Walker was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to take part in the Horizon rehabilitation programme as part of a community order for two years. Walker was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.