'Predatory paedophile' Simon Burrows could be out in three years

A PREDATORY paedophile who abused young children and had some of the worst child pornography ever seized on his computer, has won a cut in his minimum jail term at London's Court of Appeal.

It means Simon Burrows, the 45 year old former general manager of the now closed Bumble Bees Nursery in Steeple Ashton, could be back on the streets as soon as 2011.

Burrows, formerly of Lacock Gardens in Hilperton, pleaded guilty to a 36 offences in December last year at Swindon Crown Court, including sex assaults, child pornography offences and five counts of voyeurism.

The offences were against 12 children, both boys and girls under the age of 10, and included sex assaults on children as young as two years old.

He was given an indefinite term of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP), which is almost identical to a life sentence, in that those serving them are only freed once they have convinced the authorities they are no longer a danger to the public.

Burrows was ordered to serve at least four years before even being considered for release.

But on Monday, Appeal Court judges ruled that the minimum term - or tariff - was "manifestly excessive" and cut it to three years and six months.

Judge John Rogers, sitting with Lord Justice Pill and Mr Justice Jack, said the sentencing judge had taken too high a starting point for the tariff.

The judge who sentenced Burrows described him as a ?predatory paedophile?.

When police seized his computer, child pornography was discovered which was described by a forensic expert as some of the worst images he had seen during 10 years on the job.

Many of the images found on the computer were at level five, which covers the most serious images and videos of child abuse. Burrows had also placed a web-cam in a bathroom being used by teenage girls.

Wiltshire Times