A Jehovah’s Witness has escaped a jail term after admitting a series of sexual assaults on children and adults in Clevedon.

Michael Porter, of Okehampton Close, north London, admitted 24 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on 13 victims aged 18 months and older.

Among the individuals were others involved in the faith.

Judge Tom Crowther at Bristol Crown Court sentenced Porter to three years of community rehabilitation.

The judge opted not to jail Porter after hearing he had undergone therapy and was a changed man.

BBC NEWS | England | Bristol | Man escapes jail for sex attacks.

What does ‘community rehabilitation’ mean? The ‘treatments’ for paedophilia are rarely successful, and paedophiles are notoriously manipulative and evasive. Judge Crowther needs a reality test. The Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to comment.

According to a BBC Panorama programme, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have a secret sex offenders register. They don’t report paedophiles to the police because they’re afraid the publicity will reflect badly on their organisation.

Mr Porter’s sister, Tina Hughes, has criticised the judgement, saying,

He (Mr Porter) blamed his childhood for the attacks, which was a lie, but the judge ate it all up. I just broke down in tears when the judge said he wasn’t going to jail. The whole courtroom went quiet. No-one could believe it.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses website

Tags: Crime, Sexual+assault