Paedophile, 101, jailed for 13 years
A 101-YEAR-OLD paedophile who sexually abused children as young as four in his garden shed has become the oldest criminal to be jailed in British legal history.
Ralph Clarke is almost certain to die behind bars after a judge handed him a 13-year term for the child sex attacks.
The former truck driver committed a catalogue of assaults against a boy and two young girls between 1974 and 1983.
The attacks took place in the pensioner’s “man cave” workshop and in the cab of his truck.
He bribed his victims to keep quiet with sweets and money, but they came forward after being enraged by Facebook posts celebrating his 100th birthday.
Clarke, of Erdington, Birmingham, was jailed yesterday following a two-week trial in which he was found guilty of 21 historical sex offences.
He shook his head and said “no” as the judge read out details of his crimes.
Judge Richard Bond said the offences were repeated and sustained over a period of time and Clarke had shown no remorse.
Clarke showed no emotion as he was jailed. He will serve half his sentence before being eligible for parole.
The victims – now in their late 40s – wept and embraced as he was led out of the court.
The female victims reported Clarke to police in August last year after hearing what a good life he had led.
Halfway through the trial, Clarke admitted nine indecency charges against the boy between the age of nine and 14.
The widower, who served in World War 2, denied abusing the girls.
It was said he forced them to perform sex acts on him in his shed during the school holidays. They were left traumatised and one later attempted suicide. Special provisions were made for Clarke during the trial because of his age.
He was allowed to sit at the back of the courtroom rather than in the dock and left for regular breaks during the trial.
The court only sat until lunchtime each day to allow Clarke to go home and rest.
Clarke, born in March 1915, replaces Gaston Pinsard as Britain’s oldest convict. Pinsard was 96 when he was given an 18-month sentence last year for sexually abusing two schoolgirls more than 50 years ago.