THE PRISON sentence handed to a convicted paedophile have been referred to the Court of Appeal for being too lenient.
Daniel Clarke was jailed for seven years and six months, after pleading guilty to sexual offences against six vulnerable children.
At a hearing in February, Clarke pleaded guilty to offences including making indecent photographs of a child, assaulting children by touching, and inciting children to engage in sexual activity with no penetration.
It has been reported that he worked as a teaching assistant at a school in Solihull and, separately, as a personal assistant to several children.
The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby MP, stated: “I can only properly refer a case to the Court of Appeal if I consider that the sentence appears not just lenient, but unduly lenient.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to refer this case to the Court of Appeal as it appears to me that this test is met.
“The Court will decide in due course whether the sentence imposed was unduly lenient and if so, whether to substitute the existing sentence with a new one.”
Saqib Bhatti, Meriden and Solihull East MP has campaigned for Clarke’s sentence to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.
Mr Bhatti said: “I am pleased that the Solicitor General has referred the sentence handed down to Clarke under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme to the Court of Appeal following my letter to the Attorney General last month.
“I would like to thank the parents of these innocent victims for contacting me and sharing with me their concern and anger over the length of Clarke’s shockingly lenient sentence. As a father myself, I cannot begin to imagine the extent of anger and torment you feel.
“I hope that the Court of Appeal now chooses to consider the sentence unduly lenient and that they will issue a harsher, more appropriate sentence. Clarke’s heinous crimes must be punished to the full extent of the law, and I will not rest until his sentence is proportionate to his iniquitous crimes.”
