Lawyer Who Defended Pedophiles, Jailed for Sexually Abusing 6 Children

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A lawyer who made a career from defending pedophiles and others charged with sexual offenses has been jailed for sexually abusing six children.

68-year-old Michael Pulsford sexually assaulted three girls and three boys from a church youth group, forcing them to kiss him and touch him inappropriately, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Pulsford even told one of his victims, 12, that he was attacking him because he was "pretty," prosecutors told the UK court.

The offenses took place while Pulsford was a Christian youth group leader between 1974 and 1989.

The victims were abused in Wiltshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and were aged between 12 and 15.

Pulsford was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison after admitting to 16 counts of indecent assault.

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According to the BBC, Southampton Crown Court heard Pulsford groomed children while he was viewed as a "pillar of the community" during summer camps, at his home, and in his office.

His victims described Pulsford, of Corsham in Wiltshire, as "an evil manipulator" who had taken their "childhood innocence" by "abusing his position of trust."

One complainant came forward in 2011 but Pulsford denied the allegations and no further action was taken.

'Appalled at cases'

But police reopened the investigation in 2017 when another victim reported Pulsford for indecent assault.

A man told the court that coverage of the Jimmy Savile scandal prompted him to recall his own experiences of Pulsford, who had qualified as a solicitor-advocate and represented clients in criminal proceedings.

"I remember googling Mike Pulsford and being appalled at the number of child abuse cases he had defended," the man said.

He said he told police about being molested when asked if he had witnessed any abuse against another victim at a Christian camp in the 1970s.

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Two more women came forward with allegations of indecent assault after media coverage of the case began, the court was told.

In mitigation, defense barrister Michael Phillips said the incidents of abuse were "extremely unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as they could have been."

He added: "He has accepted the title of being a pedophile, which is a rarity in these kinds of cases… hopefully, it shows there is remorse."

Judge Peter Henry said the youth group Pulsford led had the aim of "instilling Christian values," but he had only been "pretending" to have those values.

"Throughout this period you were in a position of considerable power, influence, and trust," the judge said.

"What you did in this period amounts to a gross abuse of this trust."