Mark Burton: Sexually Abusing Children

Mark Burton (Labour)

North East councillor Mark Burton, who was chairman of a committee responsible for children's welfare, has been jailed for 22 months for sexually assaulting a girl and hiding pictures of child abuse on his computer.

Mark Burton, 43, preyed on his victim after a party to celebrate his re-election to Darlington Counc
il last May, and police found horrific images on his laptop.

He has spent 171 days in custody prior to sentence at Teesside Crown Court, yet has managed to claim almost £6,700 in allowances from the council. Burton has faced calls from the council leader for the cash to be repaid.

The married father of three was chairman of the council's children and young persons' scrutiny committee - a role the court heard he took to promote his political career.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting, said Burton took advantage of the schoolgirl following a drunken party to celebrate his re-election to the Harrowgate Hill ward.

The girl later complained to police and officers found 16 images of child abuse in a computer folder named ZNROP -"pornz" backwards - and discovered he had searched the internet thousands of times for phrases linked to paedophilia. Specialist officers also found a file-wiping piece of software which digitally shredded documents he had held on his computer.

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Zultra's Notes: Don't forget about the Labour 25

Conservative Councillor raped school girl

A tory councillor was last night behind bars after being charged with raping and sexually abusing a girl of 13.

Married step-dad David Kirton, 55, was remanded in custody by magistrates after being arrested at the weekend following complaints from the alleged victim.

Police confirmed: "A 55-year-old man has been remanded in custody prior to appearance at crown court.

"He was charged with offences under the Sexual Offences Act, including rape and sexual assault."

Kirton, a councillor in Harlow, Essex, is believed to have recently left the home he shares with his wife Denise, 55, and moved to Stevenage, Herts.

A council spokesman refused to comment and the borough's Tory leader was unavailable last night. Kirton will appear at Chelmsford crown court on October 21.

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UPDATE 9 June 2009

A 55-YEAR-OLD former Conservative councillor, who became "infatuated" with a 13-year-old girl and sexually assaulted her was jailed for eight years today (Monday).

David Kirton, 55, formerly of Longbanks, Harlow, Essex, later of Stevenage, also admitted committing two other sexual offences on the girl during an eight-month period.

Kirton, who won his seat in the Staple Tye ward at the local elections in May last year but has since been suspended, sent texts and spoke to her on MSN telling her among other things: "Babe - you're a gorgeous woman."

Fully Story and Source

Tags: Conservative, Paedophile, rape

Conservative Councillor charged with rape

Huw Elystan Davies

A TEACHER appears before magistrates charged with rape and drugs offences.

Huw Elystan Davies, of Ewenny Road, Bridgend, also a town councillor in the area, had his case committed to Crown Court for trial.

The 37-year-old faces charges of rape, possessing cocaine and supplying cocaine at his home between November 16 and 17 last year.

He was released on conditional bail until his appearance at Cardiff Crown Court tomorrow.

Davies is head of Welsh at Brynteg Comprehensive School, Bridgend.

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Norfolk Tory jailed for rape

A former Tory politician has been jailed for six and a half years for five sex offences involving three girls, including one charge of rape.

Stephen Mullins, 52, formerly of Links Avenue, Hellesdon, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court today .

The former head chef in the kitchen of the Bull pub in Reepham Road, Hellesdon had earlier admitted two offences of indecent assault against one girl under 14, rape involving the same girl, sexual assault on another girl aged 14 and assault on another young girl.

Mullins was a member of Norwich North Conservative Association for about two years and a Hellesdon parish councillor for about the same time.

Tags: rape, Conservative, Paedophile

Tory councillor admits rape

A Tory politician has lost his job and could be kicked out of the party after admitting five sex offences involving three girls, one of them being a charge of rape.

Stephen Mullins, 52, formerly of Links Avenue, Hellesdon, has been a member of Norwich North Conservative Association (NNCA) for about two years and a Hellesdon parish councillor for about the same time.

Mullins, who worked as head chef in the kitchen of the Bull pub in Reepham Road, Hellesdon for 17 years until April this year, appeared at Norwich Crown Court.

He admitted two offences of indecent assault against one girl under 14, between August 22, 1999 and August 21, 2000, and between August 22, 2000 and August 21, 2002. He also admitted rape involving the same girl between August 22, 1999 and August 21, 2002.

He also admitted sexual assault by penetration on April 3, 2008 on another girl aged 14 and assault by penetration on April 14, 2008 on another young girl.

He was remanded in custody to await a pre-sentence report and is due to be sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on September 1.

Jonathan Seeley, prosecuting, said that counts one and two were sample counts, while the rest were specific allegations.

Commenting after the case, Shelagh Gurney, chairman of the NNCA, said: “In view of his admission of guilt and the severity of the offences, I'm taking legal action with a view to releasing him from party membership.”

Patrick Cutter, landlord at the Bull pub, said: “Obviously I don't condone what he has done, and as a business we want to draw a line under it. He won't be working for me anymore.”

Broadland district councillor and Hellesdon parish councillor Tony Adams was at court yesterday, and said the council would be looking to replace Mullins on the parish council either by a by-election or by cooption.

Mr Adams said: “I would like to extend my sympathies to his partner and to the girls he abused.

“My understanding is that he will be automatically debarred from continuing to serve as a parish councillor, because he will have already served more than three months in jail, whatever the sentence.”

Mullins is believed to have been living with a partner, but is not understood to have any children.

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Tags: Conservative, rape, Paedophile

UKIP Candidate on rape charges

A FORMER royal butler has been charged with 18 sex offences against boys.

Paul Kidd, of Grasscroft Road, Stalybridge, has been accused of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault.


He appeared before Tameside Magistrates yesterday and was remanded in custody, but will making an application for bail tomorrow.

Kidd, 54, stood for election as a UK Independent Party candidate in Dukinfield and Stalybridge last year and received 283 votes - 9.7 per cent.

Some of the alleged offences go back three decades but others are recent.

Statement

In a statement Greater Manchester Police, who have conducted a three-month inquiry, said: "A 54-year-old man has been charged with 18 offences after allegations of child abuse were made against him.

"Paul Kidd has been charged with nine counts of rape, four counts of gross indecency, two counts of indecent assault and three of sexual assault.

"The charges relate to an historic report received by the police that a man who is now 41 had been sexually assaulted in 1981. A 17-year-old boy also alleges he was abused."

Police seized a computer allegedly containing more than 1,000 images of suspected child porn.

John Cooke, a spokesman for the Tameside branch of UKIP, said: "Last year Mr Kidd stood in Stalybridge and did very well for us. He came third and it cost the Tories a seat they were hoping to take from Labour.

"He is very well known in Stalybridge and well liked. These charges against him have come as a huge shock, the party knew nothing about it.

"He was not intending to stand for us this year as he has been ill and is due to go into hospital for an operation.

"As part of his work doing talks about his time with the Royal Family he does a lot of cruises."

Kidd appears on a website for after-dinner speakers and his fee is set at £2,000 to £4,000.

After leaving school he joined the Royal Navy as a silver service waiter looking after the captain and officers.

Butler

In 1976, he was appointed butler to the Queen at Buckingham Palace and served there for six years until he transferred to Clarence House to serve the Queen Mother as senior footman.

In 1979 he was awarded the Most Noble Order of Merit by the West German President on a state visit. He is one of only 32 people in the world to hold the award.

He met and looked after three US presidents and every King and Queen in Europe.

In 1985 he had to end his royal service due to illness - but made a complete recovery.

He has appeared on television chat shows in Britain and the US.

Kidd was arrested in London.

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Tags: ukip, Paul Kidd, rape

Labour Rape and Drugs

Councillor arrested on rape claim

AN Oldham councillor has been arrested on suspicion of raping a 16-year-old girl.

Cllr Asaf Ali, who represents Labour in the Alexandra Ward, was arrested last Tuesday and has been released on police bail, until August 1, pending further inquiries.

Police acted after receiving allegations that the girl had been raped in Oldham, at about noon the day before – Monday, June 4.


Following his arrest Cllr Ali – a father of three – released a statement which said: "I am contesting the allegations made against me and will strongly protect my innocence.

"However, having discussed my situation with the leader of the (Labour) group and the chief whip, and bearing in mind that these matters are continuing to be investigated by the police, I have taken the voluntary decision to withdraw from the Labour group activities.

"I will continue to be available to represent all my constituents and deal with their casework as normal. However, I will additionally step back from my formal positions in the council as chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and as a junior whip in the Labour group."

# THE 36-year-old councillor was arrested by police last year when a quantity of drugs was found in the wheelarch of his car. He was subsequently released without charge and claimed the drugs had been planted by someone who had a vendetta against him.

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Update - Charge dropped April 2008

Mum to Demand Councillor quits

Tags: Labour, rape, drugs