A former Mapperley children’s care home worker has been jailed for six years for abusing a 13-year-old boy.
Barrie Pick, 74, of Peveril Drive, The Park, was found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child.
Pick worked at Beechwood Children’s Home in Nottinghamshire at the time of the offences in the 1970s.
He denied the offences, but was found guilty by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court today (December 6) of two charges of indecent assault on a child and two charges of indecency with a child. The convictions relate to the same victim – a boy under the age of 14.
Pick was found not guilty of one charge of indecency with a child.
He had previously admitted six charges of possessing indecent photographs of children. He today received a six-month prison sentence for each of those offences, all of which will run concurrently with the six-year sentence.
Operation Equinox is the force’s dedicated team investigating allegations of historical abuse of children at children’s homes and other institutions in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Detective Constable Richard Jones from Operation Equinox said: “Pick abused his position of authority at the children’s home to target this boy. He should have been ensuring the children under his care were given the best possible start in life, instead he subjected this boy to these horrendous offences.
“I want to praise the survivor for showing real bravery in coming forward to talk about what happened to him.”
Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin, strategic lead for Operation Equinox, said: “Thirteen people have now been charged in connection with Operation Equinox, and so far six of these have been convicted. There are a number of other investigations ongoing into allegations of historical abuse of children and we are determined to seek justice for anyone who has been affected.
“This case demonstrates that we take this issue extremely seriously and even though these offences happened many years ago our dedicated team’s meticulous investigations can lead to prison sentences for those responsible.”
