Les Merton

Les Merton, a 70-year-old Cornish bard and author from Redruth, Cornwall, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for a series of child sexual abuse offences committed over more than two decades. At Truro Crown Court, Merton was convicted on 16 counts of indecent assault against girls as young as seven and four counts of indecency with a child. The offences, which took place between 1983 and 2004, involved grooming and abusing young victims under the guise of 'special games'.

The court heard harrowing details of Merton's depraved actions. He would show the victims pornographic videos twisted into fairy tales and encourage them to drink alcohol before carrying out indecent assaults. In one disturbing method, Merton would play card games with the children, forcing the loser to perform a sexual act. He manipulated his victims by telling them, 'This is our little secret - our special game.' These revelations came to light during the trial, exposing the dark underbelly of a man celebrated in Cornish cultural circles.

Merton, who was honoured as a bard by the Cornish Gorsedh in 2004 with the name Map Hallow (Son of the Moors) for his contributions to Cornwall's culture, history, and language, had also authored several books of poetry and The Official Encyclopaedia of the Cornish Pasty. Despite his public persona, Judge Christopher Clark described Merton as having 'a dark sinister and depraved side of your personality' and explicitly labelled him 'a paedophile'. In addition to the 13-year custodial sentence, the judge imposed a sexual offences prevention order to restrict Merton's future behaviour.

The case, reported by the BBC on 16 January 2015, underscores the hidden dangers posed by respected community figures. Related coverage included earlier articles on the bard's alleged abuse of girls and a separate incident involving child pornography linked to 'Rasputin research'. The convictions were secured through evidence presented at Truro Crown Court, with no further appeals mentioned in available reports.