Paedophile Timothy Schofield has been has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of child sex offences.The brother of This Morning star Phillip Schofield, Timothy, 54, was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, after a trial at Exeter Crown Court in April.Schofield, a civilian police worker, told the jury while giving evidence that he had watched pornography with the boy who he insisted was over the age of 16 at the time.He claimed they had masturbated while sitting apart and denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.However, the jury found Schofield guilty on all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.Avon and Somerset Police later dismissed Schofield, who had been suspended from his job at the force’s headquarters in Portishead after being arrested and charged, without notice.Mrs Justice Cutts, sentencing Schofield at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, told him: “You exploited his innocence at this stage of his life for your own sexual gratification.“It was wrong on every level for you to behave as you did.“He felt forced to do what you wanted, trapped and unable to escape.
He felt he couldn’t tell anyone and did not do so for many years.“You took away his ability to be the teenager he should have been – carefree, relaxed, happy.
It is clear to me that you became utterly obsessed with him.”The judge commended the courage of the boy for reporting the abuse.In a victim personal statement read to the court by Robin Shellard, prosecuting, the boy said he felt “numb to life” following the abuse.He said: “Before Tim was arrested, I felt I had no freedom.
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