Pervert's release sparks safety fear

A FATHER of three who caught a paedophile in his sons' bedroom fears for the safety of other children now that the offender is out of prison. The parent, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is concerned that convicted child-sex offender James Antony Brehaut remains a danger to his family and other children.

Brehaut, who was 20 at the time of his sentencing in April, has now been released from Les Nicolles, although he is subject to stringent extended sentence licence conditions.

'I want people to realise that Guernsey is not the safe place it once was and that everyone thinks it is,' said the father.

'You always imagine this sort of thing happening somewhere else and to somebody else, but it's no good to keep burying our heads in the sand.

'I don't want to read in the newspaper about some child being abused by Brehaut or another paedophile. The more that we are aware, the safer our children will be.'

The father revealed how he had caught Brehaut in the bedroom of his young sons at 4 o'clock one morning while they slept.

'I woke up, and even now am not sure why, but checked the children and found them all asleep. I had a quick look around the rest of the house, went back to bed but I still wasn't happy so I got up and checked on them again.

'I found Brehaut hiding behind the door, dragged him out of the room and called the police.

'It was a huge relief to find my children had not been woken or harmed, but it doesn't bear thinking about.'

The break-in reminded the father that his sons' bedroom window had been open when he came home from work a few days before. Later, while packing for the children, he noticed that one of his son's pairs of shorts was missing.

Police searched Brehaut's bedsit, where he lived under the care of the NCH Children's Home Youth Housing Project, and discovered 241 graphic child-pornography images on his computer. Some of the children were aged just three.

They also found many items of local children's underwear, including the missing shorts.

'As a parent, it is the worst thing that could ever happen. I couldn't let my children back home for days afterwards,' he said. 'And nobody should have to go to the police station to identify clothing that belongs to their children. I cannot explain what that feels like. Other clothing belonged to other children - some very young - and their parents are not even aware of it.

'I hardly slept for months after. On one occasion, I was woken by one of my children having a nightmare. When I eventually went back to sleep, I ended up dreaming that the children were screaming out for me but I couldn't get out of bed to help them.

'I just can't express what I feel about Brehaut. It is ridiculous that, if I act as any parent would want to do, I would end up in jail for longer than he had been.'

Brehaut was a part-time student at the Guernsey College of Further Education and when police examined his computer account, they discovered a further 57 child-abuse images which he had downloaded in the college library.

He was a member of the Guernsey Sea Cadets and wanted to become an instructor, a position that would have allowed him access to children.

Following his arrest on 15 October last year, he was sentenced by the Royal Court in April to a total of 18 months in prison on seven counts of possessing child pornography and one of burglary.

He was released after serving two-thirds of the sentence, taking into account his remand in custody.

But his disturbing behaviour had come to the attention of authorities as early as May 2005. Brehaut was banned from Beau Sejour for three months after spying on young boys in the changing rooms. He returned after the ban expired and covertly recorded similar scenes with his mobile phone.

These were discovered by police and 10 movie clips were used against him in the Royal Court.

The Guernsey Sea Scouts and NCH Children's Charity say they were not informed of Brehaut's sexual obsession with young boys until his arrest.