Case of Daniel Gersh
Director of the Southside Juniors' Football Club - Ilford, Essex, England
Summer Camp Counselor, Camp Na-Sho-Pah - Bloomingburg, New York
Football Coach, Jewish Community Centre Sinclair House - Redbridge, Essex, England
Past Member, South West Essex Reform Synagogue - Essex, England
Arrested after admitting to 60 counts of assault and related charges, including molesting nine boys, aged seven to 11, and filming several of them. Daniel Gersh stated in court: "My life is over. I have been trying to hide this since I was 13 years old."
Many of the vulnerable youngsters were deceived into believing the assaults would help them become football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time.
Gersh is a former FA-registered coach, was checked and cleared by police when he volunteered to take part in football nights at Jewish community centre Sinclair House in Redbridge, Essex, in 1995. He also coached at Jewish summer camp Na-Sho-Pah in New York 15 years ago.
Gersh was arrested in October 2006 when a mother contacted police after her nine-year-old son spoke out. Officers from the Child Abuse Investigation Team studied the material seized from his home and went on to identify a further eight victims.
If you know or have any concerns regarding the activities of Gersh and feel it may be relevant or find it helpful to talk to someone, the police and social services have set up dedicated telephone lines for people to ring."
The numbers are 020 8217 6415 for the police, and 020 8708
3014/3565 for Redbridge social services. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents:
2007
- Paedophile’s family (06/09/2007)
- Paedophile football coach pleads guilty (08/14/2007)
- `Dedicated' footie coach was a cruel paedophile (08/17/2007)
- Youth coach exposed as a serial paedophile (08/23/2007)
-
When sex-crime Perpetrators become news (08/30/2007)
- A Paedophile’s parents take a public stand (11/09/2007)
- Youth football director jailed for sex assaults (12/19/2007)
- Paedophile who preyed on youth football club jailed (12/20/2007)
- Official statement regarding Daniel Gersh (12/20/2007)
- Paedophile preyed on football youngsters (12/20/2007)
- How many more did he abuse?' (12/21/2007)
- Child protection (12/21/2007)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Paedophile’s family
By Rosemary Klein
The Jewish Chronicle - June 9, 2007
Your letter writer Mr Kauffer should make no mistake (Letters, August 31). Paedophiles are manipulative and will not hesitate to hide behind the honour of their family name to further their obscenities. They know exposure of their crime will cause upset and embarrassment to their relatives yet play with this inappropriate anxiety to continue their abuses.
It is a terrible consequence of the crime they commit that their family is humiliated; if, however, that humiliation becomes a tool to inhibit predators, it is valid and just to use it. The family must blame the criminal who is the cause of their shame.
Mr Kauffer must remember that there would be no publicity had these criminal men kept their dark and devious thoughts and desires within the confines of their twisted minds.
___________________________________________________________________________________
By Megan Reynolds
(UK) Guardian - August 14, 2007
A PAEDOPHILE who used his Essex-based football club to assault young boys pleaded guilty to a string of child abuse charges on Tuesday.
Daniel Gersh, 35, of Aldborough Road, Ilford, was director of the Southside Juniors' Football Club for four years, and used his position to gain children's trust and molest them.
Gersh appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court and pleaded guilty to a total of 60 child abuse charges:
Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.
The assault of a child under 13
Eight counts of indecent assault on a male person.
12 counts of making an indecent photograph.
Eight counts of taking an indecent photograph.
22 counts of possessing indecent photograph of a child.
Six counts of possessing with a view to their being disturbed or shown.
Gersh has been remanded in custody for sentencing on a date to be confirmed.
The paedophile was arrested after a nine-year-old boy said he had been abused by the football coach and his parents called the police.
A computer hard drive and home video tapes found in the abuser's home contained more than 55,200 indecent images of children and 3,140 indecent movies of children.
Detectives in the Met's Child Abuse Investigation Command's Major Investigation Team went on to identify eight more boys who were abused by Gersh after studying the material.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall, leading the investigation from the unit base in Stratford, said: "Daniel Gersh worked under the guise of a dedicated football coach to groom and abuse young boys.
"He displayed a frightening level of planning using his football coaching expertise to gain the trust of children and their parents. Once unsupervised with the boys he would often become aggressive before abusing them.
"Many of the vulnerable youngsters were fooled into believing the assaults would help them become rising football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time.
"We can only hope that the conviction of Gersh today goes some way to help the families affected and prevent any more children from suffering in the same way."
___________________________________________________________________________________
`Dedicated' footie coach was a cruel paedophile
Straitford and Newham Yellow Advertiser - August 17, 2007
Straitford and Newham Yellow Advertiser - August 17, 2007
A PAEDOPHILE who ran an East London football club has admitted 60 sex offences involving children.
Daniel Gersh, 35, of Aldborough Road, Ilford, appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of sexually assaulting youngsters under 13.
He also admitted 48 charges of taking, making and possessing photographs of children.
He was remanded in custody for sentencing on a date to be confirmed.
Gersh acted as Director of the Southside Juniors' Football Club, in Ilford, for four years.
A parent contacted police after her nine-year-old son made an allegation against Gersh in October 2006.
Officers from the Newham-based Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested Gersh and searched his home where they found more than 55,200 indecent images of children, and 3,140 indecent movies of children.
The case was handed to the Met's Child Abuse Investigation Command's Major Investigation Team, based in Stratford. Detectives went on to identify a further eight boys who had been abused.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall, who led the investigation, said: "Daniel Gersh worked under the guise of a dedicated football coach to groom and abuse young boys.
"He displayed a frightening level of planning using his football coaching expertise to gain the trust of children and their parents.
"Once unsupervised with the boys he would often become aggressive before abusing them.
"Many of the vulnerable youngsters were fooled into believing the assaults would help them become rising football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time.
"We can only hope that the conviction of Gersh today goes some way to help the families affected and prevent any more children from suffering in the same way."
___________________________________________________________________________________
By Rachel Fletcher
Jewish Chronicle - August 23, 2007
The family of a convicted paedophile spoke this week of how their “world was shattered” as they learned of
the offences committed by their 35-year-old son, football coach Daniel
Gersh.Last week Gersh, who is in custody awaiting sentencing, pleaded guilty to 60 counts of assaults and related charges against nine boys aged between six and 11 years old. He used an Essex-based football club as the base for his assaults.
His father, Paul, a past chairman of South West Essex Reform Synagogue, told the JC: “The first we knew of this was when the police knocked on the door in October. Our world was shattered but we have stood by him ever since. He’s been in custody continually since then but never denied his guilt."
“At his first court appearance he took the opportunity to plead guilty for the sake of the children involved. He’s not excusing what he did. He did wrong and will pay the price. Those children and their parents will get justice.”
Gersh coached football at Sinclair House, the Jewish community centre, in Redbridge and a Jewish summer camp in New York. Years later, he committed 60 offences against nine boys aged six to 11.
A former colleague of Gersh’s at the summer camp said that Gersh had been trusted by parents and children and was considered “an ideal person working with kids.” But police said he showed “a frightening level of planning” in gaining children and parents’ trust, and that victims had thought the abuse would help their football prospects.
Gersh, of Ilford, Essex, filmed himself molesting boys and was found to have over 55,200 indecent images of children and 3,140 indecent films of children on his computer. Some included scenes of sado-masochism and bestiality. An electrical salesman, who was a fully qualified coach, Gersh offered training at schools and football camps in Redbridge.
Daniel Carmel-Brown, manager of Sinclair House, said he was “shocked” by the news. A decade ago, Gersh was given the all-clear by a police check when he volunteered on football club nights in 1995 and 1996.
Mr Carmel-Brown said: “I would like to reassure all centre users that volunteers are always carefully scrutinised — and police checked — prior to working with children and are supervised during the course of their duties.”
A former counsellor at Camp Na-Sho-Pah in New York, where Gersh coached football 15 years ago, said he and camp participants — now in their 20s — had been “very surprised” at the news.
___________________________________________________________________________________
When sex-crime Perpetrators become news
By Maurice Lawson
Jewish Chronicle - August 30, 2007
No responsible person can minimise the seriousness of the actions of paedophile Daniel Gersch (Youth coach exposed as serial paedophile, August 24). The suffering of these children and their parents will be with them for many years — absolutely tragic.
But I take issue with the JC’s decision to give this such prominence on your front page, in bold black headlines. There is no issue on my part about reporting this, however surely the story could have been on an inside page. Not a scintilla of compassion was given to Daniel Gersh’s parents and the whole chagrin that they now have to endure. They are respected members of their community and they must carry this heavy burden for the rest of their lives.
Harry Kauffer London Road, Stanmore Middx V Describing someone who has admitted a charge of sexual assault and has had previous convictions as a “strictly Orthodox Jew” is perverse (Groper had fetish for touching women’s coats, August 24).
As Jews, we are so often rightly outraged by the argument that offences against us are somehow mitigated by a religious connection. We do not generally accept that a genuinely religious person would be committing offences of a serious nature against someone else.
To my mind, the admitted behaviour demonstrates conclusively that the culprit cannot possibly be “strictly Orthodox”. One cannot have one’s cake and eat it too.
___________________________________________________________________________________
A Paedophile’s parents take a public stand
Jewish Chronicle - November 9, 2007
We wish to thank Harry Kauffer (Letters, August 31) for his sympathetic and insightful criticism of the JC concerning the total lack of compassion for our family which it displayed in its front-page coverage of our son Daniel’s tragic offences.
We wish also to take issue with Rosemary Klein (Letters, September 7) who wrote in response to Mr Kauffer’s letter and displayed breathtaking arrogance and heartlessness concerning the awful ordeal which we have endured since October of last year, when Daniel was arrested and remanded in custody. To suggest that our son hid behind the honour of our family name is ludicrous — we are neither famous, wealthy nor influential — and her opinion that there was some link between our “upset and embarrassment” (as she puts it) and Daniel’s abuses, labelling our feelings as “inappropriate anxiety”, makes us wonder if she has ever experienced excruciatingly painful grief such as we have endured during these past 11 terrible months. Her trivialisation of our suffering is inhuman, insulting and contemptuous.
If she believes that our humiliation is a tool to inhibit predators, she is vastly mistaken. Yes, Daniel feels true remorse for his actions (to which he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity), both towards the children affected and their parents and also to his own family. However, his crimes have been committed, he has pleaded guilty to them and, with the appropriate counselling, he will never offend again once he has served his sentence.
Banner headlines in the JC have caused consternation with our family, friends and the community in which we have raised our children for the best part of 40 years. We are so grateful that those who really know us and Daniel have provided much-needed support and understanding during these life-changing times. We question whether Ms Klein would be capable of showing the same support to any of her friends should they ever find themselves in a similar position.
Perhaps Ms Klein will be able to spend some time reflecting on her lack of compassion during the forthcoming High Holidays.
Rita and Paul Gersh, Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex
___________________________________________________________________________________
Youth football director jailed for sex assaults
Press Associated - December 19, 2007
A youth football team director from Ilford who sexually assaulted boys has been jailed for 12 years, police said.
Daniel Gersh, 36, admitted a string of sex offences against children and was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court.
Police said an investigation was launched last year after a parent reported concerns about Gersh.
Officers found more than 50,000 indecent images of children and 3,000 indecent movies featuring children on his computer.
The material identified eight boys abused by Gersh, who was a director of a youth football team for four years, police said.
Police said Gersh pleaded guilty to offences including sexual and indecent assaults on children and possession of indecent images of children.
At Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Gersh was jailed and also banned from working with children for life, police said.
Detective chief inspector Dave Marshall, who led the investigation, said: "I have tremendous respect for all of the victims who found the strength and courage to come forward, and I wish to record my thanks to their friends and families who have provided them with incredible support throughout this investigation.
"Without this, it is possible that Gersh may have continued to offend and go undetected."
By Maurice Lawson
Jewish Chronicle - August 30, 2007
No responsible person can minimise the seriousness of the actions of paedophile Daniel Gersch (Youth coach exposed as serial paedophile, August 24). The suffering of these children and their parents will be with them for many years — absolutely tragic.
But I take issue with the JC’s decision to give this such prominence on your front page, in bold black headlines. There is no issue on my part about reporting this, however surely the story could have been on an inside page. Not a scintilla of compassion was given to Daniel Gersh’s parents and the whole chagrin that they now have to endure. They are respected members of their community and they must carry this heavy burden for the rest of their lives.
Harry Kauffer London Road, Stanmore Middx V Describing someone who has admitted a charge of sexual assault and has had previous convictions as a “strictly Orthodox Jew” is perverse (Groper had fetish for touching women’s coats, August 24).
As Jews, we are so often rightly outraged by the argument that offences against us are somehow mitigated by a religious connection. We do not generally accept that a genuinely religious person would be committing offences of a serious nature against someone else.
To my mind, the admitted behaviour demonstrates conclusively that the culprit cannot possibly be “strictly Orthodox”. One cannot have one’s cake and eat it too.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Jewish Chronicle - November 9, 2007
We wish to thank Harry Kauffer (Letters, August 31) for his sympathetic and insightful criticism of the JC concerning the total lack of compassion for our family which it displayed in its front-page coverage of our son Daniel’s tragic offences.
We wish also to take issue with Rosemary Klein (Letters, September 7) who wrote in response to Mr Kauffer’s letter and displayed breathtaking arrogance and heartlessness concerning the awful ordeal which we have endured since October of last year, when Daniel was arrested and remanded in custody. To suggest that our son hid behind the honour of our family name is ludicrous — we are neither famous, wealthy nor influential — and her opinion that there was some link between our “upset and embarrassment” (as she puts it) and Daniel’s abuses, labelling our feelings as “inappropriate anxiety”, makes us wonder if she has ever experienced excruciatingly painful grief such as we have endured during these past 11 terrible months. Her trivialisation of our suffering is inhuman, insulting and contemptuous.
If she believes that our humiliation is a tool to inhibit predators, she is vastly mistaken. Yes, Daniel feels true remorse for his actions (to which he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity), both towards the children affected and their parents and also to his own family. However, his crimes have been committed, he has pleaded guilty to them and, with the appropriate counselling, he will never offend again once he has served his sentence.
Banner headlines in the JC have caused consternation with our family, friends and the community in which we have raised our children for the best part of 40 years. We are so grateful that those who really know us and Daniel have provided much-needed support and understanding during these life-changing times. We question whether Ms Klein would be capable of showing the same support to any of her friends should they ever find themselves in a similar position.
Perhaps Ms Klein will be able to spend some time reflecting on her lack of compassion during the forthcoming High Holidays.
Rita and Paul Gersh, Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex
___________________________________________________________________________________
Press Associated - December 19, 2007
A youth football team director from Ilford who sexually assaulted boys has been jailed for 12 years, police said.
Daniel Gersh, 36, admitted a string of sex offences against children and was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court.
Police said an investigation was launched last year after a parent reported concerns about Gersh.
Officers found more than 50,000 indecent images of children and 3,000 indecent movies featuring children on his computer.
The material identified eight boys abused by Gersh, who was a director of a youth football team for four years, police said.
Police said Gersh pleaded guilty to offences including sexual and indecent assaults on children and possession of indecent images of children.
At Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Gersh was jailed and also banned from working with children for life, police said.
Detective chief inspector Dave Marshall, who led the investigation, said: "I have tremendous respect for all of the victims who found the strength and courage to come forward, and I wish to record my thanks to their friends and families who have provided them with incredible support throughout this investigation.
"Without this, it is possible that Gersh may have continued to offend and go undetected."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Paedophile who preyed on youth football club jail
London Metropolitan Police - December 20, 2007
A paedophile, who used his Essex-based football club to assault young boys, was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on 19 December 2007 to an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment. He will be put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and has received a life long ban for working with children.
Daniel Gersh, 36-years-old, appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court on 13 August 2007 pleaded guilty to:
Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13-year-old (contrary to Section 7 of Sexual Offences Act 2003)
London Metropolitan Police - December 20, 2007
A paedophile, who used his Essex-based football club to assault young boys, was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on 19 December 2007 to an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment. He will be put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and has received a life long ban for working with children.
Daniel Gersh, 36-years-old, appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court on 13 August 2007 pleaded guilty to:
Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13-year-old (contrary to Section 7 of Sexual Offences Act 2003)
- Assault of a child under 13-year-old (contrary to Section 6 SOA 2003)
- Eight counts of indecent assault on a male person (contrary to sec 15(1) of the SOA 1956)
- 12 counts of making an indecent photograph (contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
- Eight counts of taking an indecent photograph (contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
- 22 counts of possessing indecent photograph of child (contrary to Section 160 Criminal Justice Act 1988)
- Six counts of possessing with a view to their being distributed or shown (contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
Gersh acted as Director of the Southside Juniors' Football Club, a junior football club for four years.
In October 2006 a concerned parent contacted police after her nine-year-old son made an allegation against Gersh. As a result officers from the Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested Gersh and searched his Ilford address.
During the meticulous search officers seized a computer hard-drive and home video tapes.
These were examined and found to have in excess of 55,307 indecent images of children, and 3,152 indecent movies of children.
The case was dealt with by officers from the Met's Specialist Crime Directorate Child Abuse Investigation Command and led by their Major Investigation Team based at Stratford. Officers viewed the seized material, including the video footage, and detectives went on to identify a further eight boys abused by Gersh.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall, who led the investigation from the unit base in Stratford, said:
"I have tremendous respect for all of the victims who found the strength and courage to come forward, and I wish to record my thanks to their friends and families who have provided them with incredible support throughout this investigation. Without this, it is possible that Gersh may have continued to offend and go undetected.
"Under the guise of a football coach this man clearly abused his position of authority to take advantage of vulnerable and impressionable young boys.
"He displayed a frightening level of planning and used his football coaching expertise to gain the trust of children and their parents. He compounded some of the abuse by recording it on a video camera and storing it on his home computer.
"Many of the vulnerable youngsters were deceived into believing the assaults would help them become football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time.
"Gersh failed to co-operate with police, I therefore would like to appeal once more to anyone who may have information regarding the criminal actions of Daniel Gersh, to call our Major Investigation Team on 020 8217 6415 or Redbridge Social Services on 020 8708 3014 / 3565. In addition if you have any further information, or have any knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the recording equipment, including the camera that Daniel Gersh used and police have never recovered, we urge you to call us.
"This sentence goes some way to help the families affected and remind Londoners that we relentlessly pursue those who abuse children, particularly when in a position of trust, and bring them to justice to protect children. I must emphasise that it is up to all of us to ensure our children are safeguarded and encourage anyone who has fears for the safety of a child to report them to the authorities."
During the meticulous search officers seized a computer hard-drive and home video tapes.
These were examined and found to have in excess of 55,307 indecent images of children, and 3,152 indecent movies of children.
The case was dealt with by officers from the Met's Specialist Crime Directorate Child Abuse Investigation Command and led by their Major Investigation Team based at Stratford. Officers viewed the seized material, including the video footage, and detectives went on to identify a further eight boys abused by Gersh.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall, who led the investigation from the unit base in Stratford, said:
"I have tremendous respect for all of the victims who found the strength and courage to come forward, and I wish to record my thanks to their friends and families who have provided them with incredible support throughout this investigation. Without this, it is possible that Gersh may have continued to offend and go undetected.
"Under the guise of a football coach this man clearly abused his position of authority to take advantage of vulnerable and impressionable young boys.
"He displayed a frightening level of planning and used his football coaching expertise to gain the trust of children and their parents. He compounded some of the abuse by recording it on a video camera and storing it on his home computer.
"Many of the vulnerable youngsters were deceived into believing the assaults would help them become football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time.
"Gersh failed to co-operate with police, I therefore would like to appeal once more to anyone who may have information regarding the criminal actions of Daniel Gersh, to call our Major Investigation Team on 020 8217 6415 or Redbridge Social Services on 020 8708 3014 / 3565. In addition if you have any further information, or have any knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the recording equipment, including the camera that Daniel Gersh used and police have never recovered, we urge you to call us.
"This sentence goes some way to help the families affected and remind Londoners that we relentlessly pursue those who abuse children, particularly when in a position of trust, and bring them to justice to protect children. I must emphasise that it is up to all of us to ensure our children are safeguarded and encourage anyone who has fears for the safety of a child to report them to the authorities."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Official statement regarding Daniel Gersh
Rdebrdge i - December 20, 2007
The following is Redbridge Council's statement regarding Daniel Gersh.
"Redbridge Council has no comment to make about today's Court proceedings. We welcome the Football Association initiative to strengthen their investment in child protection in the light of the fact that Daniel Gersh was a registered Football Association coach.
"If you or your family have been affected by this issue or you are concerned about any contact that you or your family may have had with Daniel Gersh, please phone the Council's hotlines on 020 8708 3565 or 8708 3014 from 9am to 5pm Tuesday 18 December to 1pm Monday 24 December (closed weekends) where you can speak confidentially to one of our social workers."
Rdebrdge i - December 20, 2007
The following is Redbridge Council's statement regarding Daniel Gersh.
"Redbridge Council has no comment to make about today's Court proceedings. We welcome the Football Association initiative to strengthen their investment in child protection in the light of the fact that Daniel Gersh was a registered Football Association coach.
"If you or your family have been affected by this issue or you are concerned about any contact that you or your family may have had with Daniel Gersh, please phone the Council's hotlines on 020 8708 3565 or 8708 3014 from 9am to 5pm Tuesday 18 December to 1pm Monday 24 December (closed weekends) where you can speak confidentially to one of our social workers."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Paedophile preyed on football youngsters
(UK) Guardian - December 20, 2007
A PAEDOPHILE who used his Essex-based football club to assault young boys pleaded guilty to a string of child abuse charges on Tuesday.
Daniel Gersh, 35, of Aldborough Road, Ilford, was director of the Southside Juniors for four years, and used his position to gain children's trust and then molest them.
Gersh appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court and pleaded guilty to a total of 60 child abuse charges: l Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 l The assault of a child under 13 l Eight counts of indecent assault on a male person.
(UK) Guardian - December 20, 2007
A PAEDOPHILE who used his Essex-based football club to assault young boys pleaded guilty to a string of child abuse charges on Tuesday.
Daniel Gersh, 35, of Aldborough Road, Ilford, was director of the Southside Juniors for four years, and used his position to gain children's trust and then molest them.
Gersh appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court and pleaded guilty to a total of 60 child abuse charges: l Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 l The assault of a child under 13 l Eight counts of indecent assault on a male person.
- 12 counts of making an indecent photograph.
- Eight counts of taking an indecent photograph.
- 22 counts of possessing an indecent photograph of a child.
- Six counts of possessing with a view to their being distributed or shown.
Gersh has been remanded in custody for sentencing on a date to be confirmed.
The paedophile was arrested after a nine-year-old boy said he had been abused by the coach and his parents called the police.
A computer hard drive and home video tapes found in Gersh's home contained more than 55,200 indecent images of children and 3,140 indecent movies of children.
Detectives in the Met's Child Abuse Investigation Command's Major Investigation Team went on to identify eight more boys who were abused by Gersh, after studying the material.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Marshall, leading the investigation from the unit base in Stratford, said: "Daniel Gersh worked under the guise of a dedicated football coach to groom and abuse young boys.
"He displayed a frightening level of planning, using his coaching expertise to gain the trust of children and parents. Once unsupervised with the boys, he would often become aggressive before abusing them.
"Many of the youngsters were fooled into believing the assaults would help them become rising football stars, thus enabling Gersh to go undetected for some time."
___________________________________________________________________________________
`How many more did he abuse?'
By Rachel Fletcher
The JC (England) - December 21, 2007
A paedophile who used his role as a football coach to prey on young boys may have abused other victims beyond the nine referred to in court, police said this week.
Daniel Gersh, 36, was jailed after admitting 60 counts of assault and related charges, including molesting nine boys, aged seven to 11, and filming several of them.
When officers raided his home in Ilford, Essex, they found 55,307 indecent images of children on his computer.
Police also found 3,152 indecent films, some including scenes of sado-masochism and bestiality. Gersh also had more than 1,195 hard copies of indecent images.
There was also a document detailing 29 methods of abuse. It read: "This child is an eight-year-old boy who I'm going to sexually abuse. I will molest him at the flat. It will be filmed on digital camera for use on trader P2P."
After the hearing, Detective Inspector Keith Braithwaite said: "I do believe there are more children out there that he's abused.
"He did not co-operate with police. If you know or have any concerns regarding the activities of Gersh and feel it may be relevant or find it helpful to talk to someone, the police and social services have set up dedicated telephone lines for people to ring." The numbers are 020 8217 6415 for the police, and 020 8708 3014/3565 for Redbridge social services.
Patrick Power, managing director of Redbridge Children's Trust, said: "I think it's the best sentence that could have been achieved in the circumstances. The judge acknowledged it is very difficult to consider he would ever be safe with children."
Gersh, a former FA-registered coach, was checked and cleared by police when he volunteered to take part in football nights at Jewish community centre Sinclair House in Redbridge, Essex, in 1995. He also coached at Jewish summer camp Na-Sho-Pah in New York 15 years ago.
He sat with his head bowed throughout the two-day hearing at Blackfriars Crown Court. Judge David Martineau told him that he had a "persistent and premeditated" approach to grooming boys.
He added: "Your behaviour in my view was seriously aggravated by the fact that you often filmed what you were doing, thus keeping a permanent record of it to be viewed for your own purposes as often as you liked.
"I am quite satisfied you have a deeply ingrained propensity towards this behaviour involving boys aged six to 11, and this propensity is very likely to be incurable."
Gersh, who had been in custody since his arrest, was told that he was being given an indeterminate jail sentence. He will be able to apply for parole in less than five years but Judge Martineau warned him the chances of release were "slim".
He received "significant credit" for his guilty plea, because he had saved court time and prevented the victims having to testify.
His lawyer Allan Goh said that Gersh had not abused for financial gain, that he had made "efforts to rehabilitate himself" and that his admission "touched on what happened to him himself when he was young". He had also written a letter to the victims' families, which was not read out in court.
Referring to some of the video footage, Mr Goh accepted there had been "slapping" of children but said that any violence used "was at the very lowest end of the scale".
Gersh was arrested in October 2006 when a mother contacted police after her nine-year-old son spoke out. Officers from the Child Abuse Investigation Team studied the material seized from his home and went on to identify a further eight victims.
The court heard how Gersh told them: "My life is over. I have been trying to hide this since I was 13 years old."
He also told them: "I never penetrated any, apart from digitally. My life's a mess for the past 20 years. You guys must be disgusted. It's going to be a nightmare. You hear about all these things."
He then asked whether a particular victim, known only as Child 8, had reported him. When the police confirmed it, he said: "What I did to him was wrong.
"I'm only good at one thing. I have an affinity with kids. I'm good at music. I write songs."
A statement from the mother of one victim read in court said: "Although we have done nothing wrong, we feel we let our son down."
Gersh is banned from working with children, having unsupervised access to them or owning equipment capable of downloading images from the internet. He is also on the sex offenders' register.
Earlier this year, Gersh's father Paul, a former chairman of South West Essex Reform Synagogue, attacked the JC's "total lack of compassion" after it ran a front-page story detailing his offences.
By Rachel Fletcher
The JC (England) - December 21, 2007
A paedophile who used his role as a football coach to prey on young boys may have abused other victims beyond the nine referred to in court, police said this week.
Daniel Gersh, 36, was jailed after admitting 60 counts of assault and related charges, including molesting nine boys, aged seven to 11, and filming several of them.
When officers raided his home in Ilford, Essex, they found 55,307 indecent images of children on his computer.
Police also found 3,152 indecent films, some including scenes of sado-masochism and bestiality. Gersh also had more than 1,195 hard copies of indecent images.
There was also a document detailing 29 methods of abuse. It read: "This child is an eight-year-old boy who I'm going to sexually abuse. I will molest him at the flat. It will be filmed on digital camera for use on trader P2P."
After the hearing, Detective Inspector Keith Braithwaite said: "I do believe there are more children out there that he's abused.
"He did not co-operate with police. If you know or have any concerns regarding the activities of Gersh and feel it may be relevant or find it helpful to talk to someone, the police and social services have set up dedicated telephone lines for people to ring." The numbers are 020 8217 6415 for the police, and 020 8708 3014/3565 for Redbridge social services.
Patrick Power, managing director of Redbridge Children's Trust, said: "I think it's the best sentence that could have been achieved in the circumstances. The judge acknowledged it is very difficult to consider he would ever be safe with children."
Gersh, a former FA-registered coach, was checked and cleared by police when he volunteered to take part in football nights at Jewish community centre Sinclair House in Redbridge, Essex, in 1995. He also coached at Jewish summer camp Na-Sho-Pah in New York 15 years ago.
He sat with his head bowed throughout the two-day hearing at Blackfriars Crown Court. Judge David Martineau told him that he had a "persistent and premeditated" approach to grooming boys.
He added: "Your behaviour in my view was seriously aggravated by the fact that you often filmed what you were doing, thus keeping a permanent record of it to be viewed for your own purposes as often as you liked.
"I am quite satisfied you have a deeply ingrained propensity towards this behaviour involving boys aged six to 11, and this propensity is very likely to be incurable."
Gersh, who had been in custody since his arrest, was told that he was being given an indeterminate jail sentence. He will be able to apply for parole in less than five years but Judge Martineau warned him the chances of release were "slim".
He received "significant credit" for his guilty plea, because he had saved court time and prevented the victims having to testify.
His lawyer Allan Goh said that Gersh had not abused for financial gain, that he had made "efforts to rehabilitate himself" and that his admission "touched on what happened to him himself when he was young". He had also written a letter to the victims' families, which was not read out in court.
Referring to some of the video footage, Mr Goh accepted there had been "slapping" of children but said that any violence used "was at the very lowest end of the scale".
Gersh was arrested in October 2006 when a mother contacted police after her nine-year-old son spoke out. Officers from the Child Abuse Investigation Team studied the material seized from his home and went on to identify a further eight victims.
The court heard how Gersh told them: "My life is over. I have been trying to hide this since I was 13 years old."
He also told them: "I never penetrated any, apart from digitally. My life's a mess for the past 20 years. You guys must be disgusted. It's going to be a nightmare. You hear about all these things."
He then asked whether a particular victim, known only as Child 8, had reported him. When the police confirmed it, he said: "What I did to him was wrong.
"I'm only good at one thing. I have an affinity with kids. I'm good at music. I write songs."
A statement from the mother of one victim read in court said: "Although we have done nothing wrong, we feel we let our son down."
Gersh is banned from working with children, having unsupervised access to them or owning equipment capable of downloading images from the internet. He is also on the sex offenders' register.
Earlier this year, Gersh's father Paul, a former chairman of South West Essex Reform Synagogue, attacked the JC's "total lack of compassion" after it ran a front-page story detailing his offences.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Child protection
Jewish Chronical - December 21, 2007
When we first reported the horrendous crimes of Daniel Gersh, in August, the JC was berated for reporting his guilty pleas prominently "in bold black headlines". His parents wrote to condemn this newspaper's "total lack of compassion for our family", for whom the case had caused "excruciatingly painful grief". Then, as now, we acknowledged how difficult it must have been for Gersh's family and associates to accept and cope with the enormous damage he had wrought to children unfortunate enough to have attracted his interest. But we make no apology for placing foremost in our minds today the young victims who will have to deal for the rest of their lives with the impact of this series of tragedies, and their own families and friends whose own lives have in turn been torn apart. We salute those brave enough to have agreed to give evidence in this awful case, and to the police and legal teams who have finally brought Gersh to justice. There is, of course, no happy ending: we still need to know why Gersh was given the all-clear by a police check when he volunteered on football club nights in the mid-1990s, and questions must be asked about why earlier warning signs were not acted upon. But it is right that such a persistent and pernicious paedophile is no longer on the streets to perpetrate his cruel abuses. And right that the community, through its newspaper, refuses to play down his crimes' significance.
Jewish Chronical - December 21, 2007
When we first reported the horrendous crimes of Daniel Gersh, in August, the JC was berated for reporting his guilty pleas prominently "in bold black headlines". His parents wrote to condemn this newspaper's "total lack of compassion for our family", for whom the case had caused "excruciatingly painful grief". Then, as now, we acknowledged how difficult it must have been for Gersh's family and associates to accept and cope with the enormous damage he had wrought to children unfortunate enough to have attracted his interest. But we make no apology for placing foremost in our minds today the young victims who will have to deal for the rest of their lives with the impact of this series of tragedies, and their own families and friends whose own lives have in turn been torn apart. We salute those brave enough to have agreed to give evidence in this awful case, and to the police and legal teams who have finally brought Gersh to justice. There is, of course, no happy ending: we still need to know why Gersh was given the all-clear by a police check when he volunteered on football club nights in the mid-1990s, and questions must be asked about why earlier warning signs were not acted upon. But it is right that such a persistent and pernicious paedophile is no longer on the streets to perpetrate his cruel abuses. And right that the community, through its newspaper, refuses to play down his crimes' significance.
___________________________________________________________________________________
FAIR USE NOTICE
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.
___________________________________________________________________________________
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
___________________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment