Brave child abuse victim praised as Dover pedophile Anthony Collins jailed

A child abuse victim has been praised for her courage and dignity as the “dangerous” pedophile responsible was sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence.

The judge told Anthony Collins that while his deviant behavior inevitably “destroyed” a period in the girl’s life, it did not “break her spirit.”

Canterbury Crown Court heard how, after initially suffering in silence, she finally felt brave enough to report the depravity of her attacker.

This is what Judge Mark Weeks said led the 55-year-old to “dispute” what he did and admit his guilt in the face of “overwhelming” evidence.

Applauding the victim, he told the sex offender: “You grossly violated her at a time in her life when she was vulnerable. She was left confused and probably scared.

“She suffered in silence for months, doing everything she could to cope… hating the violence and feeling like she couldn’t speak her mind… You left her broken.

“There is no doubt that this has had and will continue to have a significant impact on her life.

“I read with concern her victim impact statement, which sets out how the abuse affected her.
“And yet, despite all this, the final victory in this case is hers.

“Her courage in reporting you and testifying against you shows that your violence did not truly break her spirit.

“You did not and could not deprive her of her dignity.

“On the contrary, she can take comfort in knowing that her evidence was accepted and believed.

“She may know that she has forced you to confront your cruel nature and admit it.

“She should be applauded for her courage in doing so. It wouldn’t be an easy step.”

Collins, of Acre in Wheatfield, Dover, pleaded guilty in May to 14 offenses of sexual activity with a child, with sentencing adjourned for reports to be prepared.

But when he returned on Friday, the court heard that despite admitting the charges, he sought to minimize his criminality and try to blame the victim.

Moreover, the probation officer who assessed Collins concluded that he posed a high risk of re-offending in terms of sexual abuse and exploitation of female children.

Therefore, having decided that as a dangerous offender he should be given an extended sentence for public protection purposes, Judge Weeks told him that while there was a “capacity for remorse and change”, the risk he posed required “intensive management” over a long period. time.

Jailing Collins for seven-and-a-half years, of which he will have to serve at least two-thirds before the Parole Board can even consider whether it is safe to release him, the judge said: “I have concluded that you are dangerous within the meaning of the statute, despite your good character and despite the letter you wrote to me.

“You are no longer a young person, and therefore the potential for real and lasting change in you is much more limited. However, you will not be old when you are released.
“It is true that you pleaded guilty, but I believe it was because you accepted that the evidence was overwhelming.

“I also believe that you have sought to substantially minimize your offending and seek to place the blame for this on your victim.
“From this fact, I draw the inevitable conclusion that you have neither deep remorse nor understanding of your wrongdoing.”

Collins’ denial of sexual attraction to children has also been criticized and noted as another element of risk.

“In my judgment, this failure to recognize, coupled with the fact that you are a victim of guilt and have only very limited understanding, makes you an obvious candidate for further offending unless you are subject to intensive supervision,” Judge Weeks continued.

“As the author of the pre-sentence report noted, you committed an extremely risky crime, apparently without regard for the possibility of being caught.

“It follows that, in my opinion, although you are otherwise considered to respect the law, you are committing risky offenses of a sexual nature which, in my opinion, may make you dangerous.

“You clearly have a significant sexual need, and when an adult does not satisfy that sexual desire or does not fully satisfy it, you begin to think about children or actually abuse them.

“It follows that I believe it is necessary to impose an extended period in order to protect the public in the future.
“I believe that since there is no way you will become an old man on release, even if you have to serve the full sentence of whatever you are, the risk you pose will require intensive management over a long period of time.”

Under the extended sentence, once Collins is deemed safe to be released, he will have a further four-and-a-half years added to any period of his license.

He will also be subject to indefinite reporting requirements for sexual offenses and will be prohibited from working with children and vulnerable adults.