Jail for St John chief who molested cadets

A superintendent in the St John Ambulance Brigade has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for molesting two cadets.

It took a jury just one hour to find Keith Barnett, from Glenleigh Park Road, Bexhill, guilty on three charges of indecent assault.

After the verdict had been delivered the jury was told Barnett had a 30-year-old conviction for molesting three cubs while a scout leader in London.

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Now the brigade is to launch an inquiry into how Barnett, who resigned from his position as divisional superintendant for the Hastings area after being suspended when the allegations were made, managed to abuse his position of trust.

During a week-long trial at Lewes Crown Court the jury heard how Barnett molested the first boy at his Bexhill home after playing a form of strip poker.

The second cadet was abused when Barnett asked if he could examine him as practice for a first-aid test.

The first victim, now an adult, told the court they had played a dice game where the numbers rolled related to a piece of clothing to be removed. He said: "We were in the front bedroom and we ended up with no clothing on."

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The boy told the court Barnett had then sexually assaulted him. But he added that on a second occasion a few months later he had refused to play the game.

When asked why he had not told anyone at the time he said: "I thought I'd be told I was lying or making it up. I buried it and tried to get on with my life."

The second victim said Barnett molested him while practising for a first-aid exam he claimed to be taking. The boy, also now an adult, said Barnett carried out a normal top-to-toe examination while he lay on a blanket but had then asked if he could check his coccyx.

He said: "That to me sounded legitimate if that was part of the exam. I was trusting of my commanding officer, I felt comfortable with it.

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"But then I was told by the defendant it was not possible to conduct the examination through a pair of jeans. I didn't know if this was true or false.

"Still feeling comfortable I lowered my jeans to my knees. Then without any warning or say so I found my boxer shorts were taken down to my knees.

"As we went to leave the defendant said he would appreciate it if I didn't say anything about the examination because people there were funny about taking exams outside of St John.

"I didn't know how a coccyx examination was supposed to be carried out and I trusted my officer so assumed everything was done how it should have been.

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"Now I feel it was unnecessary, it was wrong, it should not have been done."

Julian Woodbridge, prosecuting, had earlier told the court: "The Crown say he was using the first-aid exam as a ruse. We say he was grooming boys for what was to come next."

Barnett, of Glenleigh Park Road, Bexhill, had denied one charge of indecent assault and one charge of indecency with a child, which related to the first boy.

He had also denied indecently assaulting the second boy but did admit carrying out the medical examination and making a sexual comment.

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Barnett told the court: "I wanted to know what a healthy spine felt like so I asked if I could do an examination of the spine right down to the base. We do rugby matches and horse events where spinal injuries are common. I asked if I could do a coccyx examination.

When asked directly if he had ever sexually touched either boy, Barnett replied: "No. No way."

Sentencing him, Judge Richard Brown told Barnett he had "breached the trust" put in every adult who works with youngsters.

He added: "Parents have the right to think their children are safe from molestation at these organisations.

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"To me it came as no surprise you sexually assaulted these children. Your previous convictions make you an ideal candidate. I can only say it's a tragedy you wheedled your way back into working with children without your conviction being discovered."

Judge Brown sentenced Barnett to one-and-a-half years concurrently on the first two charges and two years consecutively on the third. He also ordered Barnett be on the sex offenders' register for life and disqualified him from ever working with children.

Det Con Chris Cox, who headed the investigation, said: "The fact that the checks done by the brigade did not pick up his previous convictions indicates it is clear the law needs to be changed in this area.

"Something should be done so such convictions can be traced much easier so paedophiles don't get the chance to work with children."