Paedophile who stopped abusing boy ‘as a new year’s resolution’ has his jail sentence cut


Paedophile who stopped abusing boy ‘as a new year’s resolution’ has his jail sentence cut

A SEX predator who stopped abusing a schoolboy “as a New Year’s resolution” had his sentence cut by top judges.

Kevin Hole, aged 30, stopped exploiting the youngster after he became wracked by remorse, his legal team said.

And, by admitting his guilt early on, he spared the boy and his family the ordeal of a protracted trial, London’s Appeal Court heard.

Hole, of Fairview Drive, Adlington, Chorley, was jailed for four years at Bolton Crown Court in July last year after admitting counts of sexual and indecent assault.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and given a sexual offences prevention order — barring him from unsupervised contact with boys under the age of 16.

Mr Justice Blake, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Judge Keith Cutler QC, said Hole’s crimes consisted of repeatedly groping the boy.

He added: “He recognised that he had damaged the child in a serious way.”

But Hole’s case reached the Appeal Court as he successfully challenged his four-year term with claims that it was excessive.

Mr Justice Blake noted the gravity of Hole’s crimes and their impact on his young victim.

But he had shown “insight into the nature of his conduct and regret”, said the judge, and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

“There is substance in the argument that the totality of the sentence was too high,” the appeal judge concluded.
Hole’s sentence was cut to three years and three months.


July 2013

Paedophile who stopped abuse ‘as a new year’s resolution’ jailed

A PAEDOPHILE who sexually abused a young boy has been jailed for four years.

Kevin Hole had indecently assaulted a two-year-old boy on an occasion between July 2001 and July 2002, Bolton Crown Court was told.

And then, last year, he also sexually assaulted a boy, who was then aged 12 or 13 on several occasions.

Hole, aged 29, of Fairview Drive, Adlington, and formerly of Horwich, pleaded guilty to indecent assault, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting, said the offences came to light when the boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told his mother that Hole and been touching him sexually.

In a statement to the court the mother said the abuse has had a devastating effect.
The boy was said to feel angry and upset about Hole’s behaviour.

Police were called and Hole admitted his crimes at the first opportunity.

Alexandra Simmonds, defending, said such an admission is relatively rare and Hole had even been candid with compilers of a pre-sentence report, revealing that he had told the child not to tell his mother about the abuse.

She added that Hole had stopped his abuse at the end of last year, of his own accord, as a “new year’s resolution” to himself, two months before the teenager spoke out.

Sentencing Hole to prison, Judge Elliot Knopf told him: “You knew what was happening and persisted in doing it, it would seem, without any hesitation.”

He placed Hole on the sex offenders’ register for life and made a sexual offences prevention order stopping him from having contact with boys under the age of 16 or living in a property with a male aged under 18.

A restraining order was also made preventing him having contact with his victim and he was barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.