Former council worker cleared of sex abuse charges (From Your Local Guardian)

Former council worker cleared of sex abuse charges

12:37pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in Richmond By Paul Teed

A former council worker has been cleared of allegations he sexually abused a teenage girl.

A jury at Kingston Crown Court found Ian Mole, 52, of Langdon Place, Richmond, not guilty on Friday, January 27, of four counts of indecent assault.

Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on two further charges of sexual assault and the Crown Prosecution Service was due to decide today, Friday, January 3, whether to pursue these allegations.

Mr Mole, who worked for Sutton Council, strenuously denied the claims throughout the trial.

The accuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she only felt able to make the allegations to her uncle after seeking help for suicidal thoughts.

The jury watched a video of the girl first making the claims to police on September 16, 2010.

Kerry Broome, defending, said: “Can you think of anything worse than being accused of being a paedophile, can you imagine how fearful that would make you?”

She also questioned why, if the allegations were true, the girl did not do anything about it at the time.

She said: “Why on earth would she allow Ian Mole to continue to have access to other teenage girls in his house if he was abusing her?

“Her explanation was that she froze whenever he went near her, that she was scared. If this was one time I could understand but this was five years, everyday or every other day. She didn’t have to see him or go near him.”

Edmund Gritt, prosecuting, said she had previously been a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of two other men, separate to Mr Mole’s case.

Mr Mole’s daughter Monique took to the witness stand to defend her father, saying she was sure he was innocent.

She told the jury: “If I would’ve thought he’d have done it I wouldn’t be here today.”