Paedophile information exchange member convicted of offences against children

Douglas Slade was convicted of 13 offences against children between the 1960s and 1980s, while Christopher Skeaping, 72, was convicted of one count of indecent assault

Douglas Slade, 75, (left) and Christopher Skeaping, 72 (right), members of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PA)

A member of the Paedophile Information Exchange has been convicted of 13 offences against children between the 1960s and 1980s.

Douglas Slade, 75, was expelled from the Philippines in 2015 and brought back to the UK to be charged with the offences.

Slade, formerly of Sea Mills and Totterdown in Bristol, was convicted of all charges against him following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The offences, committed in Bristol and other parts of the country, were against five children - the youngest aged 10 at the time.

Christopher Skeaping, 72, formerly of Hounslow in London, was convicted of one count of indecent assault against one of the victims.

The victim had been introduced to Slade, who will be sentenced on Friday, by Skeaping.

Both men were involved with the former Paedophile Action for Liberation, which later became the Paedophile Information Exchange.

The campaign groups called for the age of consent to be lowered to allow sex with children to be legalised.

Detective Sergeant Paul Melton, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "It's clear from the evidence that both Slade and Skeaping were part of a network of men who wanted to abuse children.

"Evidence showed Slade would be contacted by some of these men asking him how to go about abusing a child - one of the many horrifying aspects of this case.

"Slade is the worst example of a predatory and depraved paedophile and he used every method he could think of to find children he could abuse. No child will ever be safe in his company.

"He's shown absolutely no remorse for his sickening crimes or for the lasting emotional and psychological damage he's caused his victims.

"If he hadn't been arrested, charged and now convicted, I've no doubt he'd have continued to offend.

"Our investigation into Slade and his associates is ongoing and we believe there will be more victims who haven't yet come forward."

In a victim impact statement, one of Slade's victims said: "He is evil and a coward who has not shown any remorse for his actions."

One victim came forward in 2010 to report being abused by several people, including Slade, in the 1970s.

A second victim was identified and three men were convicted of sexual offences, but charges could not be brought against Slade as he was living in Angeles City, the Philippines.

Police worked with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to identify further victims, with Slade expelled from the Philippines in 2015, brought to the UK and charged.

A spokesman for the NCA CEOP Command described Slade as "a prolific abuser who thought he could act with impunity".

"We continue to work with partners in the Philippines and others around the world to tackle the threat posed by UK transnational child sex offenders, and to safeguard victims and those at risk of abuse," the spokesman added.

Skeaping will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

PA