002/Skar

Man admits abuse following Unity team approach

25/05/2011

Joint approach secures guilty plea in child abuse case

Specialist prosecutors from Merseyside's innovative Unity team spoke out about the benefits of the joint police and CPS approach, after a Liverpool man  pleaded guilty to a catalogue of horrific sexual abuse on a child.

Derek Skardon, 43, admitted thirty-five separate offences committed against the child between April and October 2010 including 10 offences of rape and numerous counts of making and distributing indecent images..

Janet Potter, District Crown Prosecutor from Merseyside CPS and a rape specialist on the Unity team, said: "This a truly dreadful case where a vulnerable young child suffered the most depraved of sexual offences, inflicted by the defendant, who would then share images with others via the internet."

It was Skardon's internet activity which first alerted police to his crimes. However, as the investigation progressed, more material was found which meant that officers were able to identify the victim in this case and identify defendant as the abuser.

"From an early stage in the investigation, the police and CPS worked together to build a very strong case against the defendant.  Once the evidence had been collected, the Crown Prosecutor decided on the charges to accurately reflect the scale and seriousness of the offending perpetrated by this defendant.

"This hard work came to fruition as Skardon pleaded guilty to all the offences put before him at Liverpool Crown Court. As well as ensuring that the defendant has been brought to justice, it means that witnesses in the case will be saved from having to give evidence in court."

Skardon will be sentenced on the 16th June at Liverpool Crown Court.

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