Paedophile's son jailed for raping young children in Portsmouth

Danny Scowen was aged around 16 when he abused the boy and girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Portsmouth, violently threatening them.

Sentencing him to 12 years detention with an extended five-year licence, judge Sarah Munro QC branded Scowen ‘dangerous’ saying he became an ‘entrenched paedophile’.

The court heard Scowen, 20, threatened his victims, one as young as 11, with violence if they reported his abuse.

One of the youngsters bravely reported the horrific crimes to her mother – who did nothing.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard was a teenager Scowen when he found out about his father’s child abuse images conviction.

Sentencing, judge Munro said: ‘When you found out about your father’s sexual offending, you developed your own illicit interest in images of children, initially wanting to see “what all the fuss was about” but then developing what became an entrenched interest in children.’

‘(To the jury) you admitted your fantasies about sexually abusing very young child and freely admitted picturing abusing a child as young as five.’

The judge banned Scowen from contact with children and all sex offenders – except his own father – under a sexual harm prevention order imposed for life.

The court heard Scowen raped the girl between five and 10 times and raped the boy more than eight times.

At one point another child caught Scowen abusing the girl and tried to stop him but he attacked the other child.

Scowen has a previous conviction for three offences of sending sexually explicit communications to three adult women employed by a council in Scotland who were involved in his care.

The judge added: ‘Undoubtedly you had a very difficult start in life.

‘Most days you were out of your head on Spice.

‘The effect of that drug clearly led to you being disinhibited to your actions.

‘Nevertheless, you are a very dangerous young man.’

She added: ‘Despite your youth you are an entrenched paedophile.’

Probation branded Scowen, of York Terrace, Montrose, Scotland, a high risk of harm to the public.

The court heard Scowen, who must sign the sex offenders’ register for life, claims he does not remember what happened but still denies all charges.

A jury convicted him of seven counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, four counts of rape of a child under 13, and three counts of rape.

In a message posted last May on Facebook, Scowen said: ‘I hate my life I’ve made too many mistakes I wish I could die then be reborn anew.’

Investigating officer DC Jackie Foley, from the child abuse investigation team, said: ‘From the first report, to police investigation last year and giving evidence in court, it must have been devastating for the victims.

‘The abuse will have lifelong effects for them.’