Fury of James’s mum as killer is caught again with child porn
THE mother of murdered toddler James Bulger yesterday branded killer Jon Venables a “vile, perverted psychopath” after he was caught with child pornography for the second time.
The killer, jailed in 1993 for the murder of two-year-old James, has been recalled to prison after his latest arrest for possession of indecent images.
It was discovered during a routine visit to his home by probation officers.
Venables, now 35, was jailed for two years in July 2010 after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children.
He was returned to prison for breaching the terms of his life sentence for James’s murder.
The killer claimed that he was “genuinely ashamed” and vowed to “turn his life around” after the conviction. He was released by the Parole Board in August 2013 and given another secret identity – believed to be his fourth.
But he was returned to a Category A prison last week after police were notified about child porn on his electronic device by probation officials. He has not been charged with any offence.
James Bulger’s mother Denise Fergus, 49, of Kirby, Merseyside, said yesterday: “Venables has now proved beyond any doubt what a vile, perverted psychopath he has always been. But what hurts me most is the way the probation service has tried to cover this up.
“Venables was taken back into custody a week ago, yet I was only informed hours before it hit the press. It’s clear that they were trying to keep this quiet, until they got a call from the media.
“They then phoned me on Wednesday night in a hurried call with few details given – just that he had breached his terms of the licence and returned to prison. It has left me extremely upset, angry and feeling insulted. I will be taking advice from my lawyer before making a formal complaint to the probation Two-year-old victim James Bulger service. I hope finally I might get some justice for my son James. I predicted Venables would reoffend unless they kept a very tight rein on him and I pray that now someone will finally listen to me.”
Venables and Robert Thompson, then both aged 10, were jailed for life at Preston Crown Court 24 years ago.
The pair led James away from a shopping centre in Bootle, Liverpool, before killing him and dumping his body on railway tracks.
Venables also has convictions from 2008 for affray and possession of cocaine. An estimated £5million has been spent on protecting his anonymity.