Child rapist with a "silly grin" will spend 12 years behind bars

Friday 27 April 2018

A man who used sweets and chocolate to manipulate and sexually assault three children, with one describing him as having a "silly grin" while he carried out the abuse, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

50-year-old Antony John Quant will also spend 10-years on the sex offenders' register and has been prevented from contacting the three victims for five years by the Royal Court, after a jury unanimously found him guilty of 20 counts of sexual abuse including eight counts of sexual assault, eight counts of indecent assault and four counts of sodomy following a seven-day trial in February.

During sentencing, the Royal Court heard that Quant carried out the abuse on the two girls and a boy during the 1970’s and 1980’s over a ten-year period, but each of them didn’t speak out at the time as they were too scared, ashamed and didn’t think they would be believed.

As Quant denied the offences, something he still stands by today, the three victims had to relive the abuse while giving evidence; each described Quant as using sweets, chocolate and money to manipulate them and buy their silence.

The boy said he was “confused” by Quant’s actions, and recalled him using his right arm to painfully pin him down while he was raped. The victim, who’s now an adult, told the Royal Court the abuse stopped a few years later when he had grown bigger and stronger and told Quant “this is wrong” before punching him in the stomach.

One of the girls said she had been raped by Quant between 50 to 75 times over a number of years, and she remembers the first time being painful, forceful and aggressive. She told the court that Quant had tried to kiss her during the abuse and told her “I know you enjoy it.”

The other girl who was abused described Quant as having a “silly grin” on his face while he exposed himself and indecently assaulted her. She told the court the abuse stopped when she claimed she had told her friends, realising that “it’s not right.”

Pictured: Jersey Police reopened the sexual abuse case in 2016 which led to the arrest and conviction of Antony Quant. 

Both girls reported the sexual assault to the police in 1992, but Quant denied the allegations and the case was closed a year later.  

But the police reopened the case in 2016 and asked the women to come forward with their evidence again. This time the third victim, who had put the abuse at the back of his mind, made a formal complaint which led to Quant’s arrest on 10 May 2016.

Presiding, the Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq, who was sitting with Jurat’s Blampied, Christensen, Dulake, Olsen, and Sparrow heard that Quant said the abuse claims were “lies and more lies” and said they were only made for “financial gain.”

Crown Advocate Emma Hollywood told the Royal Court that a Social Inquiry Report found that Quant harboured a substantial amount of anger and he “will never forgive them for what they have done” which shows he has no remorse.

She explained that expert reports have revealed the abuse significantly affected the three victims, who show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and some mental health problems.

Pictured: The Royal Court heard that Antony Quant had no remorse for the 20 counts of sexual abuse he carried out on three children during the 1970's and 1980's. 

The Crown Advocate called for the 20 counts of sexual abuse to be served concurrently otherwise the sentence would be too long, suggesting a prison sentence of 16 years for the most serious offences. She also requested Quant to be on the sex offenders' register for 15 years, as well as a restraining order to prevent him from contacting the victims.

Defending, Advocate Francesca Pinel asked the court to consider Quant - who she described as a hard-working, devoted father - as a young offender as he was a teenager when he committed the crimes over 30-years ago.  She said there was “no arguing a custodial sentence is inevitable” but felt 16 years in prison was excessive.

Advocate Pinel reasoned that Quant had a disruptive and dysfunctional upbringing, and the educational awareness of sexual abuse is very different now to what it was in the 1970’s. She added: “Not to minimise the impact to the three victims, but the impact is not one that can be described as extreme” requiring a lesser sentence of around 12-years instead.

Pictured: Antony Quant has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and been put on the sex offender's register for 10 years. 

The defence questioned why the prosecution were calling for Quant to be a registered sex offender for 15 years, saying there is “no justification for the Crown tripling the minimum requirement of five years” as he has been assessed as ‘low risk’ of reoffending and has had an “unblemished life since offences.”

After an hour of consideration, the Deputy Bailiff and five Jurats returned to give their verdict. The Deputy Bailiff sentenced Quant to 12-years in prison and 10-years on the sex offenders' register, saying the reasons will be released in due course.

The Deputy Bailiff also prevented the 50-year-old from contacting the three victims for five years.

Following the court’s decision, Detective Sergeant Lynda McKenna from Jersey Police said: “These victims have shown incredible courage throughout the case, having carried so much trauma with them for so many years. They have all been deprived of the innocence of children when they should have felt safe at the hands of a dangerous man.

“This case shows that no matter the passage of time the States of Jersey Police will work with victims to put an offender before court. This abhorrent behaviour will not be tolerated in our society.”