He was also convicted of five counts of sexual activity with a boy of 14. There's no doubt that for one of those boys it will be lifelong."ĭefence barristers had claimed the allegations were unfounded.įaunch was convicted of two charges of making indecent photos of a child after using a camcorder to film naked eight-year-old boys in a shower. "It's quite impossible to know what the long term effects will be. She told Faunch: "Once you realised social services were going to take no action, and believed your ridiculous story, you went on to abuse others in your care thinking yourself safe. Judge Cahill told Leeds crown court it was "incredible" the toilet photos were not reported to police in time. Then a boy of 14 with special needs said he had also been a victim of the callous pair. Police finally investigated after one boy told a woman he had been touched three times, and had repeatedly showered after an incident. "That you chose to abuse that boy shows the very depths you were prepared to go to.
Judge Cahill told him: "His need for care by you was obvious. Wathey encouraged a child with Aspergers Syndrome to watch sexual activity on a gay porn video.įaunch abused another youngster with a "very troubled background" who had been in the couple's care for only a few weeks. Piling blunder on blunder, they then lost the pictures.Īs a result the abuse, which could have been halted, continued until January, 2005. Merely rapping the men for being "naive and silly" they took no action. Social services were alerted by a mother who came across alarming images of her eight-year-old twins in the toilet while in the men's care in November 2003.Īmazingly, officials accepted the couple's explanation that they used the pictures to embarrass the boys into closing the toilet door.
The couple were approved as foster carers by Wakefield Council in July 2003.īut within months they were using the boys, who came from troubled homes, for their own sexual gratification. An inquiry has been ordered.įaunch was jailed for six years and Wathey for five. The judge slammed social services for failing to take action after indecent photos were found, saying the error was "incredible". Judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: "Neither of you has shown any empathy or remorse, or accept any responsibility for your actions. A GAY foster couple were jailed yesterday for sexually abusing boys in their care.ĭespite inflicting lifelong damage on at least one of their victims cynical predators Craig Faunch, 32, and his lover Ian Wathey, 41, showed no regret.