- Harris, 84, showed no emotion when he sentenced for 12 sexual assaults
- Judge said he 'took advantage of trust' - and he could be out in 3 years
- Case has been referred to Attorney General for review as 'unduly lenient'
- Said he got a 'thrill' from abusing children, declared him a sexual offender
- Moments before he was sentenced he was smiling and chatting to guards
- Earlier he was laughing and joking as he took a boat from Berkshire home
- Daughter Bindi battled away tears as her father was led down to the cells
- Emerged police found stash of child abuse images on computer in 2012
- Harris compiled images of 'extremely young' semi-naked children under 13
- But charges for indecent images dropped after indecent assault conviction
- One victim today said Harris made her feel 'dirty, grubby and disgusting'
- His wife Alwen did not join him for sentencing at Southwark Crown Court
- Dozens have come forward with further sex abuse claims this week
Rolf
Harris was jailed for five years and nine months today - but the
sentence will be reviewed amid claims it is 'unduly lenient'.
The
84-year-old showed no emotion as he faced the prospect of dying behind
bars after he was told he will serve a minimum of three years.
Just
hours earlier, the disgraced entertainer had been pictured laughing and
joking as he took a boat ride from his home in Bray, Berkshire to
court.
Even
moments before he was sentenced, Harris appeared relaxed, smiling and
chatting to the security guards sitting beside him in the dock.
Sentencing: Rolf Harris showed no emotion when the judge sentenced him to five years and nine months in jail
Joking: The 84-year-old laughed and joked with reporters as he left Southwark Crown Court this afternoon
Berated: The judge blasted the painter and singer for showing 'no remorse' for his string of sexual assaults
Distraught: Bindi Harris, his daughter, left Southwark Crown Court grim-faced as her father went to jail
But on learning his fate, Harris’s smile faded as he was led to the cells today, while his daughter Bindi, 50, battled tears.
Mr Justice Sweeney said: ‘You have showed no remorse for your crimes at all.
‘Your reputation now lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours but you have no one to blame but yourself.’
The
judge said he ‘got a thrill’ from abusing children and clearly
‘fancied’ his daughter’s best friend when she was 13 and he was 48.
He
said despite his regard for his TV programmes and charitable works, he
was a committed ‘sexual offender’, telling him: ‘You took advantage of
the trust placed in you because of your celebrity status to commit the
offences.’
Arrived: Rolf Harris has arrived at Southwark Crown Court without his wife Alwen where he will be sentenced
Solemn-faced: The disgraced entertainer forced his way through crowds into packed court house
Porn charges dropped: Harris last night heard he will not stand trial for possessing a stash of child porn
HARRIS'S SENTENCE BROKEN DOWN
Count 1: Assaulting autograph-hunter, aged seven or eight, in the 1960s - Nine months
Count 2: Assaulting a teenage waitress in the 1970s - Six months
Count 3: Assaulting a childhood friend of Harris's daughter between the ages of 13 and 19 - 15 months
Count 4: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 5: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 6: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 7: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 8: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 9: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 10: Assaulting Australian woman Tonya Lee, who was 15, in 1986 - Nine months
Count 11: Same victim as count 10 - Nine months
Count 12: Same victim as count 10 - 12 months
Count 2: Assaulting a teenage waitress in the 1970s - Six months
Count 3: Assaulting a childhood friend of Harris's daughter between the ages of 13 and 19 - 15 months
Count 4: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 5: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 6: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 7: Same victim as count 3 - 15 months
Count 8: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 9: Same victim as count 3 - 12 months
Count 10: Assaulting Australian woman Tonya Lee, who was 15, in 1986 - Nine months
Count 11: Same victim as count 10 - Nine months
Count 12: Same victim as count 10 - 12 months
Harris's
jail term has already been referred to the Attorney General for being
'unduly lenient' after concerns were raised by a small number of members
of the public.
A
statement from Dominic Grieve's office said: 'I can confirm that the
sentence handed to Rolf Harris today has been referred to the Attorney
General’s Office under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
'It
only takes one person to trigger the process, and there is a strict 28
day time period, which means the Law Officers have until Friday 1 August
to consider whether they wish to refer the sentence to the Court of
Appeal.'
Junior
prosecutor Esther Schutzer-Weissman told Southwark Crown Court his
victims had had their childhood stolen by the sexual predator who was
convicted earlier this week of 12 counts of indecent assault.
Bindi’s friend said she remained traumatised by his abuse which started at the age of 13 and was to last 16 years.
She said: ‘The attacks that happened have made me feel dirty, grubby and disgusting.
‘The whole sordid saga has traumatised me.’
Now 49, the victim said she became an alcoholic as a teenager and the abuse robbed her of her dreams of a career and a family.
‘As a young girl I had aspirations to have a career, settle down and have a family,’ she said.
‘However, as a direct result of his actions, this has never materialised.
‘The
knowledge of what he had done to me haunted me. However, his popularity
with the British public made it harder for me to deal with.
‘Rolf Harris had a hold over me that made me a quivering wreck.
‘He made me feel like a sexual object, he used and abused me to such a degree that it made me feel worthless.
‘He made me feel like a sexual object, he used and abused me to such a degree that it made me feel worthless.
Awaiting sentence: Rolf Harris, 84,
boarded a boat on the River Thames behind his house in Bray, Berkshire,
shortly before 7am today with a group including his daughter Bindi as
they travel to Southwark Crown Court
Convicted: The disgraced entertainer was found guilty of 12 sexual assaults on girls between 1968 and 1986
Discreet: The family could have left by car but opted for a quieter route down the River Thames this morning
‘My loved ones couldn't understand why I drank so much until I told them what Rolf had done to me for so long.’
She
said she had quit alcohol since 2000 but still suffered panic attacks
and severe anxiety and was unable to communicate and socialise with
people outside a small circle, making her world ‘very small’.
Describing
how she had ‘suffered in silence’ for years, she added: ‘Rolf Harris,
knowing what he had done to me, put me through the ordeal of appearing
in court,’ saying she felt he had tried to humiliate her by getting her
to talk about the abuse in a public arena.
‘I believe he thought he could made me crumble which I used to, but I am better than I was.’
Mr
Justice Sweeney said of his 16-year abuse: ‘I have no doubt that… it
was your crimes against her that resulted in her becoming an alcoholic
for many years with all that it entailed and that you caused her severe
psychological harm.’
Tonya
Lee, who was molested at the age of 15 after coming to Britain for a
youth theatre tour said: ‘I have never felt safe since, I live in a
constant state of anxiety.
‘What
Mr Harris took from me was my very essence, I believe that it was for
Mr Harris a forgettable moment but it was something for me I will never
move on from.
‘I know the person I am today is not the person I should have been.’
Harris’
youngest victim, who was sexually assaulted as she went to get his
autograph at a community centre when she was seven said he had taken
away her ‘childhood innocence’.
‘I became an angry child, unable to express myself and unable to trust men,’
She added: ‘When Jimmy Savile was exposed I had the courage to tell people I felt I would be believed.
‘I
felt so much guilt that I had not said anything earlier, this was made
worse when I read that Rolf Harris had abused others, I again blamed
myself for not having the courage to say something sooner.
‘I carried what Rolf Harris did to me for most of my life, it took away my childhood.’
A
fourth victim who was assaulted aged 13 when she was a teenager as
Harris took part in a celebrity gameshow in Cambridge in the 1970s, said
the entertainer had taken advantage of her, making her feel ashamed.
She said: ‘He treated me like a toy that he had played with for his own pleasure.’
A
representative of the youngest victim, who was abused at the age of
eight by Harris as she got his autograph near Portsmouth, said: "(She)
had only eight years of her life without this incident going round in
her head and that was her first eight years.
'After
these cameras have been dismantled and the media circus has rolled on
to another town it will still be with her as it will be with the other
girls.
'In
due time (she) will eventually share her story and experiences through
the proper channels with a view to helping other children who have
suffered at the hands of adults whether they are on the telly or sitting
beside them watching it.
'Hopefully that way some good can be brought from this sad case.'
Sonia
Woodley, QC, defending, said: ‘In the course of his 60 years in the
entertainment business he has given much of his spare time freely and
unstintingly to a variety of charitable causes with no complaint about
his behaviour.’
She
outlined Harris's charitable acts, from events he had attended,
royalties he had donated to the Poppy Appeal, and the fact he had been
patron of around 16 charities.
Speaking out: A represenative of one of the
victims of sexual abuse by Rolf Harris gave a statement outside court.
She said the girl only had eight years of freedom and has been plagued
by torment ever since
Packed: The court had to create an overspill room for spectators and the streets were lined with reporters
Sentence:
Nine assaults Harris (left in his mugshot and right with his CBE)
committed before 1986 carried a maximum of two years under the law at
the time. Three in 1986, after the law changed, carried up to 10 years
Support: Harris was flanked by his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi when the jury found him guilty of all counts
She added: ‘This is a man who despite the position he now finds himself in has done much good in his life.’
She
also said he suffered undisclosed health issues and acted as a carer
for his frail wife Alwen Hughes, 82, who also has health problems.
She
added: ‘As a man of 84 as he is he is already on borrowed time. Every
day, every month, in prison is going to shorten his life.
‘A sentence has to be adapted for a person who appears before a court.
‘The impact upon this defendant is going to be far greater than a sentence imposed upon a younger and more healthy man.
‘He has a limited lifespan left and that will be diminished by a prison sentence because of the state of his health.
‘Since
his conviction on Monday of this week which as your lordship may be
aware from the media the defendant has been publicly shamed, stripped of
various honours he has been given.
‘He has already been punished apart from any sentence imposed by this court.’
His devoted wife was notably absent yesterday as he was sentenced.
Miss
Woodley said her health was his ‘utmost concern’, as he had been her
carer for a considerable time and a prison sentence would have a
significant effect on her life.
She said: ‘Whatever may have happened earlier on in his life the defendant has looked after her with love and devotion.
‘They
are a close-knit family, both his wife and his daughter, and when his
wife's health has permitted her to do so she has been in court to
support her husband, indeed his daughter has appeared regularly on a
daily basis.’
Claims: New Zealand MP Maggie Barry is
one of dozens in the UK, Australia and New Zealand to bring forward
further claims against the 84-year-old since he was convicted on Monday
of a string of sexual assaults on girls
Entertainer: The judge lambasted Harris for using his role as a children's entertainer to approach his victims
She
asked the judge to take the 84-year-old's age, health and the fact he
had not behaved inappropriately for the last 20 years into account and
asked the judge to give Harris: ‘some hope for the future in that he
will be able to spend the remaining twilight years of his life with his
family’.
Since
his arrest was made public in April last year, his lawyers have
received three lever arch files of letters and emails and two sacks of
cards from supporters, including young children who have met the
entertainer.
Mr
Justice Sweeney said that he could not deal with compensation for his
victims, because it involves complex issues of psychological harm and he
had no reports on the matter.
Harris kept secret stash of child porn images on his computer - with instructions of how to delete them
Police found a secret stash of child abuse images on Rolf Harris’ computer at home, it can now be revealed.
The
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) wanted to put the veteran entertainer
on trial for possessing indecent images, but yesterday the charges were
dropped amid fears that the CPS ‘could be considered oppressive’ in
light of his conviction for indecent assault.
Harris
compiled a sickening catalogue of images of ‘extremely young’ children
under 13 posing suggestively while semi-naked, with teddy bears in the
foreground.
Child porn stash: Prosecutors claimed the 84-year-old had 33 images of children on his computer
Detectives
found a total of 33 indecent images of boys and girls downloaded from
depraved websites named, 'Tiny Teen Pussy', ‘Little Vaginas’, ‘Youngest
Teen Porn’ and ‘Young Little Girlies’ months after was arrested on
suspicion of sexually assaulting girls as young as seven.
Obsessed
with porn, he regularly viewed thousands of images, with more than a
third of the webpages he clicked on relating to adult porn.
Police found at least 496 erotic images from over 300 sites.
Four
per cent of his computer viewing related to teenage porn with Harris
clicking on images and sites with names such as ‘Russian Virgins’, ‘My
Little Nieces’, ‘Just Teens’, ‘Tiny Teen Girlfriends’ and 'Babes Joy'.
The
photographs bearing the titles, ‘young leafs’, ‘erotica’, ‘iPhone
girls’ and ‘extremely young girls vagina and nothing else’, included
young girls with their vests pulled up over their breasts and
pre-pubescent girls naked from the waist downwards wearing only a pair
of socks.
In many cases, Harris returned to the same pictures over and over again after carefully deleting them from his browsing history.
He even kept a note in his diary of instructions on how to delete them from his computer.
On
six occasions, he went onto a website called ‘Watch My Girlfriends’ to
see two girls exposing their bras, with a teddy bear in the foreground.
The once-revered artist has been
cleared of the charges as the CPS felt it 'could be considered
oppressive' in light of his sentencing today
Harris
was charged with four counts of making indecent images of children in
August 2013 after police discovered he had downloaded images between
June 2012 and July 2013- months after he was arrested in November 2012.
But
the jury were never told of his sordid collection kept on an Apple Mac
at his home in Bray, Berkshire, which was used by other members of his
family, after prosecutors were ambushed by his lawyers with unverified
evidence from the porn sites that some of the girls pictured were over
18.
Simon
Ray, defending, claimed an expert had procured ID cards from the sites
showing the girls were adults, even though the websites originated in
Ukraine and other Eastern European countries often associated with
trafficking.
In
legal argument not before the jury, Sasha Wass, QC, prosecuting, was
forced to accede to the defence’s request to severe the four porn
charges from the indecent assault trial after the questionable evidence
was produced by the defence just days before the trial begun, preventing
the prosecution from investigating properly.
Miss
Wass suggested the ID cards were fabricated as it would be tantamount
to a criminal offence for the porn site operators to admit they used
children.
She
said: ‘It can’t be reliable. They are almost certainly going to say
girls viewed were overage, anything other than that would be compliant
in a criminal offence.
‘They are extremely young girls, underage girls in pornographic poses.
‘The
girls look underage. The websites introduce them as looking at
underage, however even if they turned out to be 18, he is still looking
for underage girls.’
She
added: ‘It would be a terribly unfortunate coincidence if he has gone
onto websites like teeny tiny girlfriends and young teen gallery when he
was looking for adult material.’
Harris admitted looking at adult erotic material online when quizzed by officers but denied downloading child porn.
He
insisted any child abuse images found their way onto his hard drive by
mistake when he was clicking from one site to another searching for
‘kind girls’ and ‘babes’.
Family: His wife Alwen was left
devastated by his affair with the housekeeper and daughter Bindi was
'crushed' by his fame. Today, the judge attacked Harris for his abuse of
Bindi's friend as his daughter slept beside them
Took advantage: Victim impact statements heard Harris preyed on awestruck girls, 'haunting' them
'The key point here is these were not deliberately sought out', said defence barrister Simon Ray.
‘In
most instances, the relevant images were adverts for many other sites
featuring amongst other images… the redirect from an adult site and the
user would have had no control over arrival at this site.’
Mr
Ray told Mr Justice Saunders there was a ‘huge amount of pornography
found on the computer’ with his client regularly viewing sites such as
‘naked girls’, ‘lewd girls’, ‘hot babes’, ‘young models with moves’ and
‘xxxpornforfree’.
He
argued that the charges should be dropped because the indecent images
were 'wholly and unfairly out of context' in relation to years of
downloading thousands of adult pornography
But it can now be revealed that Harris’ interest in pictures of naked children dated back to the 1970s.
Veteran
BBC radio presenter Jeff Cooper recalled Harris showing off six images
of naked children aged between four and nine at a canteen of BBC Radio
Clyde in Glasgow between November 1978 and April 1979.
Four
per cent of his computer viewing related to teenage porn from sites
with names such as ‘Russian Virgins’, ‘My Little Nieces’, ‘Just Teens’,
‘Tiny Teen Girlfriends’ and 'Babes Joy'
In
pre-trial hearings in the absence of the jury, Miss Wass said Mr Cooper
felt uncomfortable that he was flashing them in front of other members
of staff.
But his testimony was not put before the jury for fear of prejudicing any second trial on child pornography charges.
Harris
made a note in his diary about how to delete material from his
computer, which he had owned since October 2010 before it was seized by
police in November 2012, after seeking advice from a friend.
He had written: '1) start button
'2) control panel
'3) internet options
'4) press delete under heading below history, make sure all boxes ticked.'
A
second note on another page said: 'Kind girls safari; go to private
browsing, go to button with black guy silhouette for privacy.'
Ms
Wass claimed this showed 'the defendant was very anxious to delete this
particular material', but the entertainer claimed he was simply
embarrassed about having accessed adult porn.
Harris's
defence team claimed that all he searched for was 'kind girls' and
'babes', which took him to adult porn sites, from where he clicked on
adverts that led to the disputed material.
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