• 7 years ago
• Posted in:Child Sexual Abuse, Rape / Sexual Assault, Sexual Offences
• 0
• Author: Thomas Gradgrind
• Tags: Absconded, Aged 20-29, Aged 60-69, Attic, Autogynephilia, Befriended mother/carer to access child victims, Child victim, Convicted 2016, Convicted 2017, Crossdressing while offending, Delivery/bus driver, Employment terminated, England, Female victim, Grooming, Military/Police/Prison officer, Multiple victims, Offended 1970s, Offended 2010s, Relationship break-up, Religion, Reoffended while on licence/bail, Teesside, Transvestite, Victim impact statement, Women's/child's underwear, Yorkshire

Lawrence Ireland, a violent male transvestite was convicted in 2016 at Teesside Crown Court of six charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child. Ireland, 64, was jailed for four years and 11 months and made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from contact with children under 16 and he will be on the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

While under investigation, Ireland – a former sailor, coastguard and HGV driver – groomed, sexually assaulted and hurt another young girl, trying to get her on her own and telling her the sexual abuse he subjected her to was “their little secret”. The girl’s mother disbelieved the warnings the police gave her regarding the allegations they were already investigating, and she allowed Ireland to have unsupervised contact with her child. Ireland received a three-year prison sentence for seven sexual assault charges in 2017 to run alongside his existing sentence.

Forty years earlier, Ireland had tied his first young victim hands with stockings when she was aged just ten and sexually assaulted her while he was cross-dressed. His then wife discovered that he was a transvestite when she found skirts and dresses in bin liners in the attic along with pornography and ligatures indicating she may have known about his abuse though took no action, after “having consulted her church.”

The victim subsequently reported Ireland to the police in 2013 and the judge clearly described the impact his offending had had on the victim: “She did not lead a full and happy life solely as a result of what you did to her. She has had a long time to suffer. She is taking anti-depressants, dependant on alcohol. She has had difficulties in building up and firming relationships as a result of what you did to her.” He also referenced the effect that Ireland going on the run had had on her, leaving her feeling he was again in control and manipulating things.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, branded Ireland a coward and told him: “There was not one thought for her – only thinking of yourself again.”

Media reports

Teesside Live https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/lawrence-ireland-ruined-life-should-12401468  archive

Teesside Live https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/former-sailor-lawrence-ireland-jailed-10839146   archive 

Teesside Live https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/paedophile-receives-second-prison-sentence-12400653  archive

Northern Echo https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14254291.cross-dressing-redcar-lorry-driver-jailed-1970s-child-abuse/  archive

UK Database – Sex offenders register: Lawrence Ireland