Anger over paedophile's sentence

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Michael Porter, 38, used his trusted position as a ministerial servant in the Jehovah's Witnesses to prey on young boys in Clevedon, Somerset, over a 14-year period. One of his victims was an 18-month-old baby, the court heard.

Porter, of Okehampton Close, north London, pleaded guilty to 25 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on boys and young adults at Bristol Crown Court.

But Judge Tom Crowther opted not to jail him and handed him a three-year community rehabilitation order after hearing he had undergone therapy. He was also given credit for his guilty plea.

The sentence provoked a furious reaction from victims' groups and the defendant's own sister, who branded the judge a soft touch.

Tina Hughes, 40, from Clevedon, said: "I'm absolutely disgusted. I'm very, very angry. We thought he would get a sentence of at least 12 months. I think the judge was absolutely pathetic.

"I just broke down in tears when the judge said he wasn't going to jail. The whole courtroom went quiet. No one could believe it. I can't believe the judge thinks he is safe to be allowed out on the streets. He won't stop."

Avon and Somerset Police said they would be discussing a possible appeal against the sentence with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Norman Brennan, founder of the Victims of Crime Trust, said the sentence would do little to boost public confidence in the courts.

"When the judiciary fail to impose such penalties they give paedophiles a licence to offend. At a time when the Government is under huge pressure on law and order on the streets, this appallingly out-of-touch sentence does nothing to reassure the parents and British public."