A former BBC presenter, Benjamin David Thomas, has admitted to carrying out 40 sex offenses, a number of them against minors, over the course of 30 years.
Thomas, who was most recently was a preacher at the Criccieth Family Church in North Wales, U.K., admitted to a slew of offenses when he appeared at Mold Crown Court on Friday:
- 10 counts of sexual activity with a child
- 8 counts of sexual assault
- 4 attempts to commit sexual assault
- 9 indecent assaults
- 7 counts of voyeurism
- 2 counts of making indecent videos of children
The offenses took place over the course of almost twenty years, 1990-2019.
Thomas, who worked as a reporter and presenter for the BBC, worked with the company until 2005 where to left in order to preach on the streets of London. He was granted bail until his next appearance at Mold Crown Court on August 18 when he will be sentenced.
Judge Niclas Parry indicated that Thomas would be ‘given credit’ for his guilty pleas, but hinted a “significant custodial sentence” is an inevitability.
Following Friday’s hearing, the Detective Constable of the North Wales Police, Lynne Willsher said: “Ben Thomas’ offending involved the serious sexual abuse of vulnerable young children by a religious leader.
DS Willsher went on to say: “It is an awful breach of the trust placed in him by the victims and their families, and I cannot begin to imagine what impact the revelation of his offending has had on them.
“Today in court, Ben Thomas has admitted perpetrating 40 sexual offenses.
“As a result of this, his victims have been spared the harrowing ordeal of a lengthy trial.”
“North Wales Police are very grateful for the strength and courage shown by all victims and their families; this has greatly assisted our investigation to ensure justice has been done today.
“I am also grateful to the Evangelical Church and their safeguarding team for their assistance during the investigation.
“If there is a message to come from this, it is that anyone who faces abuse should understand that your safety and wellbeing remains North Wales Police’s priority and you can contact us on 101, or online via our live webchat.”
These offenses are just the latest in an almost never-ending list of accusations and scandals related to sexual abuse committed by current and former employees of the BBC.
