Case of Dr. Benjamin Yudkin
Teacher - Oxford,
England
Teacher - Wolvercote, Oxford, England
Teacher - Wolvercote, Oxford, England
2001 –– Pleaded guilty assaulting a nine-year-old child and
also to possessing pseudo-photographic images on his computer of naked girls
under the age of 16. At the time, Yudkin was sentenced to three years' probation, placed
on the sex offenders' register for five years and ordered to attend a treatment
program for sex offenders.
2009 –– Yudkin was re-arrested and jailed for four months after police found dozens of images of children in his computer.
Yudkin is the son of Oxford Professor Michael Yudkin.
Yudkin is the son of Oxford Professor Michael Yudkin.
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Table of Contents:
2001
2001
- Sex offender is spared jail term (03/08/2001)
- Child-sex offenses denied (03/09/2001)
- ‘Misfit' academic escapes jail term (08/01/2001)
- Child-sex offences denied (09/03/2001)
- US launches approved list of bar mitzvah teachers (09/07/2001)
2009
- Academic jailed over child porn (10/05/2009)
- Orthodox man jailed for sex offences (10/13/2009)
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Sex offender is spared jail term
By Leon Symons
Jewish Chronicle - March 8, 2001
A 33-YEAR-OLD Orthodox academic has escaped a prison term after
being found guilty of indecently assaulting a nine-year-old Jewish
child.
Benjamin Yudkin, of Norham Road, Oxford - who subsequently
pleaded guilty to possessing pseudo-photographic images on his computer of
naked girls under the age of 16 - was on Monday sentenced to three years'
probation, placed on the sex offender s' register for five years and ordered
to attend a treatment programme for sex offenders.
Yudkin - the son of Oxford Professor Michael Yudkin
- stood trial at a Thames Valley crown court in June, denying three counts
of indecent assault in relation to the Succot weekend last October, which
he had been invited to spend with the child's family.
He was found guilty on one count and acquitted on the
other two. Reporting restrictions in place at the time of the trial were
lifted when the verdict was delivered.
Judge Spence told him: "The circumstances of this trial
required that a young child be cross-examined. That gives you no credit
whatsoever. There seems to have been little effect on the child and one hopes
that will be the case.
"There is here a breach of trust in that you were invited
into the family home for the festival of Succot and you took the opportunity
to touch that child in the manner that led you to this court. I could be
justified in sending you to prison but I will take the other option of a
non-custodial sentence."
But he warned Yudkin that the sentence did not "in
any way indicate that this is not a serious matter. All indecent assaults
are serious matters."
On the computer-images offence, the judge gave Yudkin
- whom he described as "very intelligent" - some credit for pleading guilty
at the first opportunity, and for seeking help for his problems.
Speaking afterwards, one of the officers involved in
the case, Detective Constable Phil Ashford, expressed "a little disappointment"
at the verdict.
"Anyone who makes a child give evidence [in such a
case] and is found guilty deserves something more than probation. Nevertheless,
we are glad to have got the conviction."
At the June hearing, the jury watched a video of a
police interview with the child, who described how Yudkin had rubbed his
hands on clothing covering the bottom and thighs and pulled up some
clothing.
The offence occurred when they were alone in the child's
room on the afternoon of Sunday October 15 playing a board game, while other
house guests were downstairs.
The child told the police interviewer: "I thought:
why is he doing this? Why doesn't he stop?"
The victim also showed where Yudkin had placed his
hands.
The child said Yudkin stopped when another adult came
into the room.
On Friday night in the family succah, he had allegedly
kissed his fingers, then placed them on the child's arm.
Police officer: "What did you think when he did
that?"
Child: "He's horrible."
Questioned via a video-link by Yudkin's counsel, Paul
Bogan, the child denied pestering him to come to the bedroom, maintaining
that it had been Yudkin's idea. The child also denied Mr Bogan's suggestion
that far from considering Yudkin "horrible," there had been affection for
him.
Mr Bogan suggested that the touching of bottom and
thigh did not really happen. "No, it did happen," the child declared.
The family friend who came into the bedroom said in
evidence that she had seen Yudkin touching the child and managed to get the
child out of the room. Her allegations formed the basis for the second and
third counts of indecent assault, of which he was acquitted.
The mother told the court that she had confronted Yudkin.
He apologised, she said, declaring that "he had gone too far and had forgotten
the child was not a relative."
In evidence, Yudkin denied kissing his fingers and
placing them on the child's arm. He said the child had pestered him to go
to the bedroom and to play the board game.
He also denied touching the child's bottom and thighs,
saying the only physical contact between them was when he had attempted to
sneak a look at the cards the child was holding.
The jury of six men and six women was out for four
hours 30 minutes before returning the verdicts.
At the sentencing, Mr Bogan argued the offences were
at the lower end of the scale of indecent assault. There had been no touching
of genitalia; the child did not touch Yudkin; nor had there been any suggestion
of inducement, force or threats on Yudkin's part.
He added that reports on Yudkin showed that he had
experienced difficulties with peer-group relationships from and early age
"and an element of social exclusion."
This had continued into adulthood. Yudkin suffered
depression, was prone to reclusiveness and had tried to commit suicide twice,
in 1992 and 1997.
Recognising some years ago that he was suffering from
behavioural difficulties - in particular, that he was having "sexually
inappropriate feelings" towards children - Yudkin had voluntarily sought
treatment, initially at London's Portman Clinic, then with another
psychotherapist whom he still visits three times a week.
He has also been prescribed the anti-depressant drug
Prozac.
"The fact that these offences were committed shows
that the treatment is incomplete," Mr Bogan observed.
"There is also the effect of these proceedings on the
Jewish community.
"He will be largely an outcast... excluded from Jewish
life, not welcome in many synagogues."
Among the testimonials was one from small communities
minister the Reverend Malcolm Weisman, who said that Yudkin had "fought
desperately hard" in an effort to overcome his problems.
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Child-sex offences denied
Jewish Chronicle - March 9, 2001
A TEACHER from Oxford appeared at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday on child-sex charges.
Benjamin Yudkin , 32, faces two counts of indecent assault and a single charge of common assault. He denied allegations that he had molested a nine-year-old girl in the bedroom of her Reading home.
The alleged acts were said to have taken place between September 1 and September 3 last year.
Counsel for the defendant requested an adjournment for further directions.
A trial date was set for May 30.
Child-sex offences denied
Jewish Chronicle - September 3, 2001
A TEACHER from Oxford appeared at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday on child-sex charges.
Benjamin Yudkin, 32, faces two counts of indecent assault and a single charge of common assault. He denied allegations that he had molested a nine-year-old girl in the bedroom of her Reading home.
The alleged acts were said to have taken place between September 1 and September 3 last year.
Counsel for the defendant requested an adjournment for further directions.
A trial date was set for May 30.
Jewish Chronicle - March 9, 2001
A TEACHER from Oxford appeared at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday on child-sex charges.
Benjamin Yudkin , 32, faces two counts of indecent assault and a single charge of common assault. He denied allegations that he had molested a nine-year-old girl in the bedroom of her Reading home.
The alleged acts were said to have taken place between September 1 and September 3 last year.
Counsel for the defendant requested an adjournment for further directions.
A trial date was set for May 30.
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Child-sex offences denied
Jewish Chronicle - September 3, 2001
A TEACHER from Oxford appeared at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday on child-sex charges.
Benjamin Yudkin, 32, faces two counts of indecent assault and a single charge of common assault. He denied allegations that he had molested a nine-year-old girl in the bedroom of her Reading home.
The alleged acts were said to have taken place between September 1 and September 3 last year.
Counsel for the defendant requested an adjournment for further directions.
A trial date was set for May 30.
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US launches approved list of bar mitzvah
teachers
By Leon Symons
Jewish Chronicle - September 7, 2001
The UNITED Synagogue has created its first-ever register
of "approved" bar mitzvah teachers.
The scheme got under way after being given the go-ahead
by the US rabbinical council. There are 17 teachers are on the initial
list.
To qualify, teachers must meet preset standards for
religious knowledge and practice, demonstrate their ability to teach the
reading of the Torah and Haftarah, attend in-service training programmes
and comply with the requirements of the 1999 Children's Act.
This last requirement means that all those named on
the list have been checked against police records for any criminal
convictions.
The decision to register bar mitzvah teachers came about
in part as a result of the case of Benjamin Yudkin , a former teacher convicted
in June of indecent assault on a nine-year-old child.
The Rev Michael Binstock, senior education officer
at the US's Agency for Jewish Education, said: "The case contributed indirectly
to the creation of the register. It made parents more aware of the need to
have teachers approved."
Rev Binstock professed himself "delighted" with the
way in which the register had started and believes the list will eventually
contain as many as 30 names.
"I met the rabbinical council on July 18. Then I sent
letters to synagogues and to people on our database. Now I'm getting calls
from people I have never known, who are teaching and want to be registered.
It is very encouraging," he said.
"My other major concern is that the quality of the
tutors is up to scratch - and I'm happy to say that there were some very
good teachers indeed among those who have registered.
"Bar mitzvah teachers will now be part of a team for
probably the first time.
"Until now, they have been out on their own. I intend
to call regular meetings for in-service training."
The Rev Binstock will now focus his efforts on devising
a new bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah syllabus, which he hoped will be ready in
about a year's time.
‘Misfit' academic escapes jail term
Get Reading.com - August 1, 2001
Academic jailed over child porn
By Matt Wilkinson
Oxford Mail - October 5, 2009
An academic convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl eight years ago has been jailed after police found sick images of children on his computer.
Dr Benjamin Yudkin, 41, had 82 images of children when police seized his computer in February.
Married Yudkin, of First Turn, Wolvercote, North Oxford, was sentenced to four months in prison at Oxford Crown Court today, after admitting three counts of possession of indecent images.
Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, told the court Yudkin was convicted of one count of sexually assaulting a young girl in 2001.
Yudkin was found guilty at Reading Crown Court of touching the girl at a Jewish holy festival and given three years’ probation.
He also admitted possession of 13 indecent photographs eight years ago.
Mr Justice John Saunders told the court that due to Yudkin’s previous convictions he must be put behind bars.
He said: “I accept it is a tragedy for him, but more of a tragedy for his wife and children. He must know he simply cannot carry on doing this and get away with it.”
Mr Walsh said four of the 82 images found by police had been saved by Yudkin on his computer.
Rachel Drake, defending, told the court Yudkin had worked with specialist groups to fight his urges since his conviction eight years ago.
He had devised coping strategies to ensure he did not offend again, but he stopped taking medication prescribed to prevent re-offending due to unpleasant side effects such as twitches and night sweats, Ms Drake added.
She said: “He won’t stop taking the medicine again. But it has to be accepted this was a relapse.”
Mr Justice Saunders described Yudkin as an intelligent man. He said: “This defendant suffers from depression and stopped taking the drug helping him with depression because of unpleasant side effects.
“Dr Yudkin recognises the seriousness of the offences. He knows... it
is only because of people like him taking an interest in images such as
these, that photographs of children are taken.”
Yudkin was disqualified from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.
Orthodox man jailed for sex offences
By Leon Symons
Jewish Chronicle - October 13, 2009
An Orthodox academic has been jailed for four months after police found dozens of images of children in his computer.
Eight years ago Dr Benjamin Yudkin, 41, of Wolvercote, Oxford, escaped a custodial sentence after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old child in Reading.
Last week Yudkin appeared for sentence at Oxford Crown Court having previously admitted three counts of possession of indecent images.
Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, told the court about the 2001 conviction for touching a child, after Yudkin had been invited to nine-year-old’s family home during Succot the previous year. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
At the time, Yudkin also pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of girls under 16 on his computer,
Mr Justice John Saunders told the court that due to Yudkin’s previous conviction he must go to prison.
He said: “I accept it is a tragedy for him, but more of a tragedy for his wife and children. He must know he simply cannot carry on doing this and get away with it.”
Rachel Drake, defending, told the court Yudkin had worked with specialist groups to fight his urges since his conviction eight years ago.
But he had stopped taking medication prescribed to prevent re-offending, due to unpleasant side effects, Ms Drake added.
She said: “He won’t stop taking the medicine again. But it has to be accepted, this was a relapse.”
Mr Justice Saunders described Yudkin as an intelligent man. He said: “This defendant suffers from depression and stopped taking the drug helping him with depression because of unpleasant side effects.
“Dr Yudkin recognises the seriousness of the offences. He knows... it is only because of people like him taking an interest in images such as these, that photographs of children are taken.”
Yudkin was disqualified from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a further seven years.
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Get Reading.com - August 1, 2001
A PROMINENT academic who indecently touched a girl during a Jewish holy festival has escaped a jail term.
Benjamin Yudkin - whose father is a lecturer at Oxford University - was also caught with indecent images of naked youngsters on his computer and has admitted to a long-standing sexual fixation with children because he is a social misfit, Reading Crown Court heard.
But on Monday Judge Stanley Spence decided not to jail the 33-year-old.
He sentenced him to three years' probation and treatment at the Thames Valley Project for sex offenders.
Judge Spence said all indecent assaults were serious but that Yudkin, an orthodox Jew who is a specialist in genetics and mathematics, needed to continue the treatment he had been receiving voluntarily for years.
Yudkin, who now faces being ostracised by Britain's Jewish community, was described by Judge Spence as a "highly intelligent and articulate man" who was capable of bending the truth.
He had denied indecently assaulting the girl, who is from the Thames Valley.
The jury at his trial in June was told that he had been asked to lead the girl's family in prayer during the festival of Succot last October.
The court was told that he touched the girl's buttocks and thigh.
The previous month he had also taken his computer to an Oxford company to retrieve some lost data and pictures of naked girls were uncovered, the court heard.
Yudkin had admitted possession of the 13 indecent pseudo-photographs at an earlier hearing, but a ban on reporting both cases was in place until his sentencing on Monday.
Paul Bogan, defending, said Yudkin, who still lives with his parents, had always found it difficult to make friends and this had led to an emotional attachment towards children.
Yudkin, who has twice attempted suicide, had realised his sexual feelings were inappropriate and visited a psychotherapist three times a week, he added.
He was receiving the treatment when he touched his victim.
Mr Bogan claimed the defendant had made "substantial progress" and that he had not touched the girl's genitals.
The computer pictures were not of sexual activity and Mr Bogan said this made both offences in the lower scale.
His treatment had already hampered his academic career and Mr Bogan said he would almost certainly be shunned by both the teaching fraternity and the Jewish community.
Judge Spence said the effect on Yudkin's victim appeared to be light but he added: "There was trust ... and you took that opportunity to touch the child in the manner that has led you to this court."
Although Judge Spence said he could "justifiably" send Yudkin to prison, he found the medical material and personal testimonials persuasive.
Yudkin will also be on the sex offenders' register for five years and must pay £1,234 in costs.
Benjamin Yudkin - whose father is a lecturer at Oxford University - was also caught with indecent images of naked youngsters on his computer and has admitted to a long-standing sexual fixation with children because he is a social misfit, Reading Crown Court heard.
But on Monday Judge Stanley Spence decided not to jail the 33-year-old.
He sentenced him to three years' probation and treatment at the Thames Valley Project for sex offenders.
Judge Spence said all indecent assaults were serious but that Yudkin, an orthodox Jew who is a specialist in genetics and mathematics, needed to continue the treatment he had been receiving voluntarily for years.
Yudkin, who now faces being ostracised by Britain's Jewish community, was described by Judge Spence as a "highly intelligent and articulate man" who was capable of bending the truth.
He had denied indecently assaulting the girl, who is from the Thames Valley.
The jury at his trial in June was told that he had been asked to lead the girl's family in prayer during the festival of Succot last October.
The court was told that he touched the girl's buttocks and thigh.
The previous month he had also taken his computer to an Oxford company to retrieve some lost data and pictures of naked girls were uncovered, the court heard.
Yudkin had admitted possession of the 13 indecent pseudo-photographs at an earlier hearing, but a ban on reporting both cases was in place until his sentencing on Monday.
Paul Bogan, defending, said Yudkin, who still lives with his parents, had always found it difficult to make friends and this had led to an emotional attachment towards children.
Yudkin, who has twice attempted suicide, had realised his sexual feelings were inappropriate and visited a psychotherapist three times a week, he added.
He was receiving the treatment when he touched his victim.
Mr Bogan claimed the defendant had made "substantial progress" and that he had not touched the girl's genitals.
The computer pictures were not of sexual activity and Mr Bogan said this made both offences in the lower scale.
His treatment had already hampered his academic career and Mr Bogan said he would almost certainly be shunned by both the teaching fraternity and the Jewish community.
Judge Spence said the effect on Yudkin's victim appeared to be light but he added: "There was trust ... and you took that opportunity to touch the child in the manner that has led you to this court."
Although Judge Spence said he could "justifiably" send Yudkin to prison, he found the medical material and personal testimonials persuasive.
Yudkin will also be on the sex offenders' register for five years and must pay £1,234 in costs.
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By Matt Wilkinson
Oxford Mail - October 5, 2009
An academic convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl eight years ago has been jailed after police found sick images of children on his computer.
Dr Benjamin Yudkin, 41, had 82 images of children when police seized his computer in February.
Married Yudkin, of First Turn, Wolvercote, North Oxford, was sentenced to four months in prison at Oxford Crown Court today, after admitting three counts of possession of indecent images.
Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, told the court Yudkin was convicted of one count of sexually assaulting a young girl in 2001.
Yudkin was found guilty at Reading Crown Court of touching the girl at a Jewish holy festival and given three years’ probation.
He also admitted possession of 13 indecent photographs eight years ago.
Mr Justice John Saunders told the court that due to Yudkin’s previous convictions he must be put behind bars.
He said: “I accept it is a tragedy for him, but more of a tragedy for his wife and children. He must know he simply cannot carry on doing this and get away with it.”
Rachel Drake, defending, told the court Yudkin had worked with specialist groups to fight his urges since his conviction eight years ago.
He had devised coping strategies to ensure he did not offend again, but he stopped taking medication prescribed to prevent re-offending due to unpleasant side effects such as twitches and night sweats, Ms Drake added.
She said: “He won’t stop taking the medicine again. But it has to be accepted this was a relapse.”
Mr Justice Saunders described Yudkin as an intelligent man. He said: “This defendant suffers from depression and stopped taking the drug helping him with depression because of unpleasant side effects.
Yudkin was disqualified from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.
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Orthodox man jailed for sex offences
By Leon Symons
Jewish Chronicle - October 13, 2009
An Orthodox academic has been jailed for four months after police found dozens of images of children in his computer.
Eight years ago Dr Benjamin Yudkin, 41, of Wolvercote, Oxford, escaped a custodial sentence after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old child in Reading.
Last week Yudkin appeared for sentence at Oxford Crown Court having previously admitted three counts of possession of indecent images.
Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, told the court about the 2001 conviction for touching a child, after Yudkin had been invited to nine-year-old’s family home during Succot the previous year. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
At the time, Yudkin also pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of girls under 16 on his computer,
Mr Justice John Saunders told the court that due to Yudkin’s previous conviction he must go to prison.
He said: “I accept it is a tragedy for him, but more of a tragedy for his wife and children. He must know he simply cannot carry on doing this and get away with it.”
Rachel Drake, defending, told the court Yudkin had worked with specialist groups to fight his urges since his conviction eight years ago.
But he had stopped taking medication prescribed to prevent re-offending, due to unpleasant side effects, Ms Drake added.
She said: “He won’t stop taking the medicine again. But it has to be accepted, this was a relapse.”
Mr Justice Saunders described Yudkin as an intelligent man. He said: “This defendant suffers from depression and stopped taking the drug helping him with depression because of unpleasant side effects.
“Dr Yudkin recognises the seriousness of the offences. He knows... it is only because of people like him taking an interest in images such as these, that photographs of children are taken.”
Yudkin was disqualified from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a further seven years.
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Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.
I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
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