Cambridge paedophile jailed after assault on girl under 13
A paedophile from Cambridge who sexually touched a schoolgirl has been jailed for more than a year.
Ian Taylor, 53, assaulted the young girl in the early hours of December 21. The offence only came to light when the girl confided in a family member.
Taylor, of Bayford Place, admitted the offence when interviewed by police and told officers he was drunk. Appearing remorseful, he admitted touching the girl was inappropriate and said he was depressed at the time.
He was then served a postal requisition charging him with assaulting a girl under the age of 13.
After admitting the offence at a previous hearing, he was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday (August 18).
Taylor was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same timeframe to monitor his future behaviour.
He was known in the gaming world as the composer of music for the record-breaking online game Runescape, and was the longest-serving employee at Cambridge games studio Jagex until he was dismissed in March 2021.
He had joined in a customer support role in 1999, becoming only the company’s fourth employee, before moving to the audio team in 2003. In audio development, he wrote more than 635 music tracks for the company, including on Runescape and Old School Runescape.
A Jagex spokesperson said: “Jagex expects the highest standards from its staff and we act decisively if those values that we hold dear are not reflected in the behaviour of employees. The person in question no longer works at Jagex, and was dismissed when the circumstances of the allegations came to light in March 2021.
“We have conducted an internal review of the employee’s interactions with staff and any players he may have come into contact with during his time at Jagex. We have found no evidence that might prompt further investigation at this time.”
Following Taylor’s sentencing, Det Sgt Greg Stanley said: “I commend the courage of this young child in coming forward and speaking out. Without her bravery Taylor may have carried on offending.
“I hope this outcome brings closure for the victim and her family and allows them to move forward with their lives.
“Child abuse comes in various forms and can affect anyone. Whether you’re a victim, friend or adult, it’s everyone’s responsibility to help stop the abuse and tell someone.
“We urge all members of the public to be aware of adults who pay an unusual amount of attention to a child. Sharing any concerns, no matter how small, can make all the difference.”
Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah’s Law at https://bit.ly/2W6HZa8.
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