Sex offender's 'cry for help' lands him in jail

Stockport Express - 4th July 2007

A Cheadle legal expert is calling for an alternative treatment for child abusers after a ‘cry for help’ landed one offender in jail. Gary Holden, 32, was jailed for 100 days after he sent a text message to his social worker saying he felt tempted to abuse young girls, a court heard. However, this ruling has promoted pleas for change from solicitor Peter Garsden, who is asking for alternatives to prison for paedophiles. “It is a shame that the courts reaction was to put him in custody – but on the other hand the safety of the public and children is paramount, “ he said. “What they could do with is some halfway house, other than prison, whereby the offender could be kept in a secure environment, but unfortunately most of the sex offender treatment programmes are inside prisons.”

Mr Garsden, who is a legal expert in child abuse cases, said that this judicial decision should emphasise the need for extra treatment centres and prompt a necessary increase in funding for them. “We have to move away from the medieval way of thinking and move towards something more civilised that is more in keeping with the 21st century,” he said. “If we had Megan’s Law here people would be more inclined to change their attitude and recognise that these are people with problems that need sorting out rather than locking them away and hoping that their problems will sort themselves out.” He added: “You can’t lock them all away forever as it’s just not practical and the prison system is already fit to burst.”

Mr Garsden’s comments came after Holden’s hearing at Preston Crown Court, which convicted him of breaching his sexual offences order imposed for child pornography. Holden – who lives at an approved address in Heaton Norris – was heard to have sent the text message in November stating that the wanted to do bad things to children – particularly school girls in white socks. But his barrister, James Hawks, claimed it was a cry for help and it was not a breach of the order. Judge Brown recommended that upon his release, the 32 year old should be subject to a string of strict conditions including no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years and a ban from any play area, swimming pool or schools. He was also restricted from entering Reddish Vale Country Park and the Grand Central Leisure Complex.