Convicted county paedophile named in Downing Street probe (From Evesham Journal)

Convicted county paedophile named in Downing Street probe

10:30am Thursday 25th October 2012 in News By Tom Edwards

A CHILD abuse ring connected to a Worcestershire paedophile reached all the way to Parliament and 10 Downing Street, it has been claimed.

MP Tom Watson has claimed "a senior aide of a former Prime Minister" was involved in smuggling in indecent images of children from overseas.

During Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, he said there was evidence of "a powerful paedophile network linked to Parliament and Number 10."

His claims involve Peter Righton, who was convicted in 1992 by magistrates in Evesham of importing and possessing pornographic material involving boys under the age of 16.

Righton, who lived in Badsey Road, Evesham, at the time of his conviction and is now in his 80s, had developed a reputation as an academic expert in child care.

Mr Watson said: "The evidence file used to convict paedophile Peter Righton, if it still exists, contains clear intelligence of a widespread paedophile ring.

"One of its members boasts of his links to a senior aide of a former Prime Minister, who says he could smuggle indecent images of children from abroad.

"The leads were not followed up.

"But if the file still exists I want to ensure that the Metropolitan Police secure the evidence, re-examine it and investigate clear intelligence suggesting a powerful paedophile network linked to Parliament and Number 10."

Mr Cameron said he would look into the case "very carefully". More follows.