GUILTY UK - Graham Ovenden for child sexual abuse, Cornwall, 2008

wfgodot

Former Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
30,166
Reaction score
719
Graham Ovenden convicted of child sex offences (Guardian)
Artist found guilty at Truro crown court of six charges of
indecency with a child and one count of indecent assault
An internationally renowned artist has been convicted of sex offences against children.
---
Graham Ovenden denied all the charges relating to four children – now all adults – between 1972 and 1985.

The incidents, involving young girls, are said to have taken place at Ovenden's former and current addresses, in London and Cornwall, respectively.
---
The charges relate to four claimants, who contacted police long after the abuse is alleged to have taken place, and only when they realised exactly what had happened to them as girls, the court heard.

Ovenden denied the abuse ever happened. He told the court he had taken pictures of children – including those in various states of undress – but said they were not indecent.
---
Ovenden, who lives near Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, denies having a sexual interest in children.
Artist Graham Ovenden found guilty of indecency against young girls after using nude children in his paintings (Daily Mail)
---
During the trial Ovenden spoke frankly from the witness box, quoting biblical and literary works in explaining his use of naked children as part of his 'state of grace' body of work.

He also described the 'neuroses' of the prosecutor, and the 'witch-hunt' that plagued the art world from those who disagreed with the naked child form.

Referring to one of his subjects, an alleged victim in the case, he said: '(She) was a beautiful child - not only as she was, as you see her in front of a camera, but also as a person.

'It think it is important that someone pays homage to that and place her in a state of grace. I think holding those things, by photography or painting, is a moral obligation.'

In a nod to English poet William Blake, Ovenden described the 'state of grace' as 'a thing of wondrous beauty'.
---
He told the court: 'I have to say the absolute witch-hunt which is going on at the moment - and the idea of a child naked is something to be frowned upon - is absolutely abhorrent.'
---
more at the links

Graham Ovenden (Wiki)
 
More detailed Guardian piece:

Graham Ovenden lived in rambling rural idyll with a dark side
Artist portrayed Cornwall home as Eden where children could
live as nature intended, but abuse of girls has now emerged
---
Ovenden was accused by four former girl models, now adults, of abusing them between 1972 and 1985. They told how he would blindfold them and force them to take part in a "tasting game" that ended up in tricking them into taking part in oral abuse. On Tuesday, Ovenden was convicted of six charges of indecency with a child, and one of indecent assault. He was acquitted of five charges of indecent assault, three of them on the direction of the judge.

Ovenden's right to produce candid images of children, often unclothed, has long been defended by fellow artists, and the interest the Metropolitan police has had in him for decades has been criticised. The artist himself continues to insist he has been set up by the authorities, but the jury clearly believed the testimony of some of the women who described abuse at Barley Splatt.

Now a white-bearded 70-year-old, Ovenden had an idyllic childhood in Hampshire. He grew up in a Fabian household, and the poet John Betjeman was a family friend. After school, Ovenden studied at the Royal College of Art and befriended the pop artist Sir Peter Blake, best known for creating the album cover of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
---
more at the link
 
It's not too surprising given the themes in his art?
 
Graham Ovenden walks free after judged no longer a sexual threat (Guardian)
'Soft sentence' for artist convicted of historic sexual abuse of children, infuriates police and campaigners
---
Judge Graham Cottle said he had to take into account the sentencing regime in place at the time of the offences, between 25 and 40 years ago, before tougher laws to protect children were brought in.

He had also considered Ovenden's age, that he had no previous convictions, had endured a "steep fall from grace" – and said he did not consider him a danger to children now.
---
more at the link above
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
190
Guests online
2,190
Total visitors
2,380

Forum statistics

Threads
589,987
Messages
17,928,722
Members
228,034
Latest member
okaydandy
Back
Top