A PSYCHOLOGY nurse whose ‘wicked sexual characteristics’ became a reality when he abused an eight-year-old girl has been assessed as posing an ongoing danger to children.
Robert Dearden pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to raping the girl by making her perform a sex act on him and sexually assaulting her.
Dearden (68) of Bulkington Road, Coventry, who also admitted downloading indecent images of other children, was given an extended 14-year prison sentence.
He will have to serve at least two-thirds of that time before the Parole Board will even consider his release – and may not be freed until he has served the whole sentence.
Once he is released Dearden, who has to register as a sex offender for life, will remain on licence, and at risk of being recalled to prison, for the rest of the 14 years and for a further seven years.
Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said that Dearden, who passed himself off as a psychologist, created an opportunity to be alone with his eight-year-old victim and sexually assault her.
On further occasions he showed her how to perform sex acts.
After the girl told her mother what had happened, the police were contacted.
When he was arrested Dearden made full admissions – but, despite confessing to being a paedophile, suggested it was the girl who had initiated sexual contact, added Mr Simpson.
Delroy Henry, defending, said: “The only saving grace is his early guilty pleas and acceptance of responsibility. He does not blame her in any shape or form.
“It is a shame he allowed these wicked characteristics to become a reality.
“The sad reality is that, at the age of 68, he is likely to see out his natural life in custody.”
And Judge Andrew Lockhart QC observed: “It probably is as stark as that.”
Mr Henry said it had been ‘a huge fall from grace’ by Dearden, who had previously served in the Royal Army Medical Corps before more recently working as a psychological nurse.
Jailing Dearden, Judge Lockhart told him: “You are now 68 years of age. You are to be sentenced for the most serious types of offences against her.”
He said that Deardon ‘as a purported psychologist’ knew the psychological harm he was doing, but had deflected attention away from the effects it was having on her.
“The damage to that child is beyond comprehension. You sought to cover things up as a psychologist. You carried out a campaign of sexual abuse, realising the harm which could be caused.”
Judge Lockhart said he accepted Dearden was now sorry for what he did, but told him: “I consider you present a serious and ongoing risk to children of causing them serious psychological harm, and I can see no end to that danger.”
