A paedophile described “as modern day Fagin” who for decades groomed and sexually abused vulnerable youngsters is facing a lengthy jail term after being convicted on Friday, July 16, 2021, of more than 40 offences.
Carson Grimes, now 65, of Dumfries Street, Luton, was living in London when he began abusing children, and his behaviour escalated when he moved to Bedfordshire in the 1980s.
Grimes, also known as Carson Phillips, was arrested in February 2018, following an allegation by one of his victims, now in his late 30s, but who was just 11 years old when Grimes groomed, raped, and sexually abused him in the early 1990s.
Grimes denied all the allegations, and a major investigation was launched by Bedfordshire Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) team, which revealed a further 11 victims; the youngest was just five years old when her abuse began.
At Luton Crown court on Friday, July 16, 2021, Grimes was found guilty of a total of 42 offences against children.
The offences include rape and indecent assault of both boys and girls, gross indecency and grievous bodily harm.
Grimes will be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutor Martin Mulgrew told a jury at Luton Crown Court: “He preyed on vulnerable children over several years.
“He groomed them to gain their trust. As he moved from victim to victim his sexual offending became more serious and more brazen. The longer it went on the more emboldened he became.
“Many of the witnesses thought he was untouchable.”
Mr Mulgrew said the offences were carried out between 1980 and 2002 on 10 young people, the youngest of whom was aged 5.
“He had cynically gained their trust. Many were highly vulnerable and from dysfunctional homes. They were found sniffing glue, smoking cannabis and getting into trouble with the police.
“They were targeted. He was a modern-day Fagin character who allowed them to come to his home.”
In the trial, which began on 1 June, the court heard Grimes preyed upon vulnerable boys and girls who found themselves drawn into his orbit as he masqueraded as a friend, offering his home to them as somewhere to hang out, or hide from authorities, where he plied them with drink and drugs before subjecting them to horrific sexual abuse and rape.
In a statement, one of Grimes’ victims said: “As a child, I thought Carson was my friend, and that he cared about me, but he was giving me alcohol and putting drugs in it so he could do what he did. He then made me believe that what he was doing was OK and natural.
“I spent my life lying to cover up what he did. He took away my innocence, caused me to hurt all those around me; he made me confused about who I was and caused me a lifetime of suffering, pain and hurt.”
