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A jury has unanimously found a man guilty of 20 counts of sexual abuse on three children in the 1970s and 1980s.
49-year-old Antony John Quant had denied all the charges, including eight counts of indecent assault, eight counts of rape and four counts of sodomy on two girls and a boy.
After five days of evidence – including accounts from all three victims who are now adults - the jury retired for four hours to consider its verdict. The jury of seven women and five men returned to court with a unanimous decision that Quant was guilty of all the charges dating back over 30 years.
The three victims all said that Quant had used sweets and chocolate to groom them and keep their silence, with one telling the court that she is haunted by the ‘silly grin’ he had on his face when he assaulted her.
The victims, who were children at the time of the abuse by Quant, each said they didn’t tell anyone at the time because they were scared and didn’t think they would be believed. The two women had made formal complaints to the police in 1992, but the case was closed a year later. The police approached all three victims to make statements when the case was re-opened in 2016.
Wearing a white shirt and a beige jumper, the 49-year-old looked at the floor and shook his head as the jury gave its guilty verdict to the Deputy Bailiff, Tim Le Cocq, presiding.
The Deputy Bailiff told Quant that he had been: “Found guilty of very serious offences which involved a significant measure of coercion.” He added that Quant’s denial of the abuse: “Put the victims through the ordeal of giving evidence.”
Despite Advocate Sue Pearmain’s argument that Quant should be released on bail as he was under the legal age of consent for some of the sexual assaults himself, and under the age of 21 for others, so should be treated as a young offender, the Deputy Bailiff remanded him in custody.
Quant is due back in the Royal Court on Friday for a sentencing date and has been put on the sex offenders' register.
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