Anthony Barron was serving a life sentence for 87 charges – including the rape of children as young as three – at HMP Ashfield near Bristol when he died
One of Britian’s worst paedophiles who filmed himself abusing children as young as three has died in prison.
Anthony Barron was serving life in prison after pleading guilty to 87 charges of sexual abuse of children including attempted rape, sexual assault and making indecent photographs.
The prison ombudsman confirmed today he died on July 18 at the age of 72 while serving at male sex offender prison HMP Ashfield, near Bristol. Barron, formerly of Grove, in Oxfordshire, who was 54 at the time, was sentenced for a case described as the worst of its kind in his county. His cause of death has not been revealed.
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Currently the Prison and Probation Ombudsman is investigating his death and a report will be published in due course.
At the time he was jailed Judge Julian Hall told Barron he was a “plausible, predatory paedophile” whose crimes he had found “quite chilling”. He added: “This is as serious a series of offences as I think I’ve ever come across.”
The court heard Barron had targeted 11 girls aged from three to 12 over a nine-year period beginning in 1997.
Amjad Malik, prosecuting, said Barron, a popular figure in the community, had befriended their parents through his connections to primary schools and Scout groups and persuaded them to let the children stay with him at his home.
He then “groomed” the girls into allowing him to film himself abusing them, using sweets and toys as bribes. Mr Malik described Barron as “almost an integral part of the parents’ lives” and a person they believed to be an “extremely friendly, helpful man”.
The court heard suspicions were raised when one of Barron’s victims made a comment to her mother about him. Police subsequently raided his house and seized 52 computers which contained scores of video recordings of him abusing the girls.
Andrew Bright, defending, said the case was “truly shocking” and a cause of “great shame” to Barron and anyone associated with him.
Jailing Barron, the judge said: “You totally betrayed the trust of parents who allowed you to look after their children.
“You abused them completely and treated them with no respect whatsoever. You treated them as if they were some sort of toy.
“I can’t imagine anything worse than a parent knowing not only that their child had been abused but had been filmed being abused.”
He added: “I’ve no idea when, if ever, you will be safe to be let loose in the community, because I’ve no idea why this all started.
“I think it’s right that you remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for the rest of your life.”