‘Vulnerable’ paedo allowed to walk free after filming himself abusing baby in pram FINALLY jailed
A PAEDO who got off with a suspended sentence after filming himself abusing a baby has been jailed after a public outrage.
John Paul Long, 21, was allowed to walk free after the vile sex attack on an 18-month-old tot.
Sick Long, of Larchwood Avenue, Liverpool, molested his helpless victim while it slept in its pram, recording the abuse on his phone.
Cops found the recording after raiding his house – along with evidence of a similar attack on a four-year-old.
They also came across thousands of child sex images, as well as other illegal porn, on his computer.
He was initially jailed for nearly three years after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a child at Liverpool Crown Court in May.
But Long’s sentence was later changed to a 24-month suspended sentence by a judge – who worried about his welfare in prison.
The merciless child abuser’s lawyers said he suffered from ADHD, arguing this would make him “particularly vulnerable in a custodial environment”.
But many, including Attorney-General Jeremy Wright QC slammed the decision, prompting a review.
Wright said: “A suspended sentence did not reflect the very significant impact of Long’s offending on his victims and their families or the other aggravating features of these offences.”
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A trio of Appeal Court judges have now agreed to overrule the sentence change, reinstating the original 32-month prison term.
Explaining the decision, Lady Justice Sharp, said: “The offences were of a particularly grave and repugnant kind.
“The victims were young children, who were very vulnerable.
“The abuse was recorded and kept on the offender's mobile phone.”
She said they could have decided to hand him an even stiffer penalty than the jail term that was originally handed down.
But she said a return to the 32-month immediate prison sentence “strikes a balance between the public interest and fairness to Long”.
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