Pervert given indeterminate jail sentence

Barry Cairns, who coerced the boy into performing indecent acts with him from the age of 13, was said to have a history of indecency with boys.

Durham Crown Court heard that his record includes sex offences on boys he picked up while on a soft drinks round, for which he was jailed for two years in 1976.

The court heard that he is now considered to pose a "high risk" of reoffending.

He was, therefore, given the indeterminate sentence for public protection, with a recommended minimum tariff of three-and-a-half years before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

Caroline Goodwin, prosecuting, said on his arrest, Cairns' home computer was seized and examined.

Ten indecent male child pornographic images were found downloaded on the computer hard drive.

Fifty-five-year-old Cairns, of Woodland Terrace, Kelloe, near Durham, admitted two counts each of indecent assault, sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, plus ten counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

Stephen Duffield, mitigating, told the court the "relationship" continued after the boy's 16th birthday, although it ended several months later.

Sentencing Cairns, Judge Richard Lowden told him: "You previously received mostly non-custodial sentences, but the present matters show the escalation if the circumstances allowed it, which they clearly did in the relationship with this boy.

"I have no doubt it was one of corruption. It may have been there was consensual activity after the age of 16, but the damage had been done by then.

"His life has certainly been perverted, in the proper sense of the word, by your relationship with him.

"Your sexual interest in young under-age people continues, apparently, and is shown by the discovery of the indecent images of children."

Cairns was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register and was banned from working with children, both for life.