Kids’ entertainer had paedophile images on phone
ACHILDREN’S entertainer has been unmasked as a paedophile after thousands of images of abuse were found on his phone.
Kingsley Perera had almost 4,000 indecent images on his mobiles, including more than 600 Category A photos which show the most extreme kind of abuse of children, including rape.
The 57-year-old denied he was responsible for downloading the images, seeking to blame others – including his own sister – who he said had acted out of spite or for their own sexual purposes.
But he was convicted following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.
Sending him to prison, a judge said it clear the defendant did not accept his guilt and therefore there was no prospect of rehabilitation.
He said one of the troubling factors in the case was the fact Perera had been working as a children’s entertainer while harbouring a sexual interest in youngsters.
During the trial the court heard how almost 4,000 “stomach-churning” images of child sexual abuse had been found on Perera’s phones.
There was also evidence that such material had been deliberately sought out on the internet.
The defendant denied being the one who had downloaded the material, claiming at various times that his sister, brother-in-law and a friend had done it. He also pointed the finger of blame at some of the homeless and vulnerable people he helped though his charity work.
But Perera, of Hanover Street, Mount Pleasant, Swansea, was found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of Categories A, B and C, and returned to the dock on Friday to be sentenced.
Harbiner Lally, for Perera, said the large number of personal references written on behalf of the defendant showed him in a “very, very different light” as a person who would go out of his way to help others, and who was involved in much charitable work.
Judge Paul Thomas QC, who presided over the trial, said it was clear Perera was “wholly unrepentant” about his actions and did not admit he had a paedophile interest in very young children.
He said the defendant had cynically and falsely accused other people of downloading the images on to his phone in an attempt to save his own skin, thereby “putting others under the cloud of suspicion”.
The judge said it was plain from a pre-sentence report into the defendant that he was going to steadfastly maintain his innocence and would not co-operate with – and therefore not benefit from – any kind of sex offenders’ course or programme.
He said one worrying aspect of the case, though not one he would take into account when passing sentence, was the fact that Perera had been working as a children’s entertainer knowing he had a sexual interest in youngsters.
Perera was sentenced to a total of 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, and will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time.
Judge Thomas added that he wondered what those people who had written character testimonials on behalf of the defendant would say had they seen the nature of the images involved.