How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK-Frederick Cranston

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Harborne, UK, 90-year-old foster care home boss ,Frederick Cranston, “has been jailed over historical sex attacks on a young boy – who he invited on family holidays to continue the abuse.

Frederick Cranston, 90, carried out repeated attacks during the 1980s after grooming the victim at Oakhill Assessment Centre in Harborne , where he worked as deputy head.

The former soldier also carried out the abuse on the vulnerable youngster at his own home – and on family holidays he had invited the youngster to join.

Cranston, of Bradford Road, Castle Bromwich, has now been jailed for 12 years after admitting four charges of indecent assault, gross indecency with a child and three other serious sexual offences.

Birmingham Crown Court heard the victim was aged just 11 when the abuse started and was a “troubled child from a difficult and broken background.”

His foster care placement had broken down and Cranston had been responsible for collecting him and taking him to the care home in Meadow Road. He abused the youngster on the very first night after moving him from a shared room to a single room.

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said: “The visits of him to that room and the sexual abuse became a pattern.

“It seems that the defendant worked on a night shift.

“He would be given sweets and biscuits and the grooming developed in that way.

“There is no doubt that the defendant treated this child generously and made him feel special and manipulated his position of authority to facilitate what he was doing.”

The court heard Cranston used his position to recommend he continue to supervise the victim, even when he was moved to another care home in Shard End.

He continued to abuse the boy there and also at his own home, which he shared with his wife and two adult children.

“Such was the relationship that developed that he (the victim) would go on foreign holidays with the defendant and his family where the abuse would occur on occasions,” said Mr Butterworth.

“His life did not proceed well. He became a troubled young man with drug and alcohol problems. His life was shambolic.”

The victim later moved to the Isle of Wight and reported the matter to the police in 2015.

Judge Simon Drew QC said: “You fall to be sentenced for extremely serious offences committed on an extremely vulnerable young man when you were effectively in the position of parent or guardian of an 11-year-old child.

“You identified him as a target and you set out to exploit your position of power and trust almost from the outset.

“It had a profound effect on him and you used your position to frighten and intimidate him, to manipulate and bribe him to secure his compliance and silence. You were able to do pretty much as you pleased.”

Graham Henson, defending, said: “A guilty plea by a man of this age is a courageous plea.”

He said Cranston, who had failing health and whose wife had died eight years ago, had joined the armed services when he was just 14 in 1941 and had a distinguished record as a soldier.”

Jailed: Paedophile care home boss abused boy on first night at Harborne centre – and on family holidays[Birmingham Mail 2/6/17 by Ross Mc Carthy]

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