Britain’s ‘most predatory paedophile’ Anthony Barron dies in prison at 72

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Anthony Barron (pictured), formerly of Grove, Oxfordshire, was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 after pleading guilty to 87 charges of sexual offences against children. (Image: Daily mail)

Anthony Barron, considered one of Britain's worst paedophiles, has died in prison at the age of 72. Barron, formerly of Grove, Oxfordshire, was serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2007 on 87 charges of sexual offences against children, including attempted rape, sexual assault, and making indecent photographs.

The prison ombudsman confirmed his death occurred on July 18 at HMP Ashfield, a male sex offender prison near Bristol, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The cause of death has not been revealed.

Here are key takeaways:

• Barron's death is currently under investigation by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman, and a report is expected to be published in due course. Upon sentencing, Barron's case was described as the worst of its kind in his county.
• Judge Julian Hall, during the 2007 sentencing, described Barron as a 'plausible, predatory paedophile' and stated that the crimes were 'quite chilling,' adding that it was as serious a series of offences as he had ever encountered. The judge also expressed uncertainty about when, if ever, Barron would be safe to be released into the community, emphasising the need for continued supervision by the Probation Service for the remainder of his life.
• The court learned that Barron had victimised 11 girls, ranging in age from three to 12, over a nine-year period that began in 1997. Barron, who was described as a popular figure in the community, befriended the parents through connections to primary schools and Scout groups. He then persuaded them to allow the children to stay with him at his home, where he 'groomed' the girls into allowing him to film himself abusing them, using sweets and toys as bribes.
• During the trial, Amjad Malik, the prosecutor, highlighted Barron's integral role in the parents' lives, portraying him as an 'extremely friendly, helpful man' whom they trusted implicitly. However, suspicions arose when one of Barron's victims made a comment to her mother about him. Subsequently, police raided his house and seized 52 computers containing numerous video recordings of him abusing the girls.
• Andrew Bright, defending, acknowledged the case as 'truly shocking' and a cause of 'great shame' to Barron and anyone associated with him. However, he noted that Barron had not used threats or violence to make the children comply. Judge Hall emphasised that Barron had 'totally betrayed the trust of parents' and treated the children as if they were 'some sort of toy,' expressing that he could not imagine anything worse than a parent knowing their child had been abused and filmed being abused.