Palace pervert - carer awarded MBE from Prince Charles faces jail catalogue of sex crimes

Paedophile Trevor Francis was recognised for working as station master in his home town for 20 years while the abuse went undetected

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ByJamie Beatson

• 07:18, 31 MAR 2017
• Updated07:19, 31 MAR 2017

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Trevor Francis is made an MBE by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace (Photo: PA)

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A man facing jail for sexually abusing vulnerable children was awarded an MBE from the Prince of Wales before his crimes were exposed.
Paedophile Trevor Francis attended a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2012, where he received his medal from Prince Charles.
The 71-year-old was recognised for working as station master in Aberdour, Fife, for 20 years while the abuse went undetected.
Two years after he was honoured with an MBE one of his victims came forward to police and described the abuse she suffered in his care at St Margaret’s children’s home in the 1970s, the Daily Record reports.

Francis, 71, was found guilty of abusing children in the 1970s (Photo: Alan Richardson)

Francis became manager at St Margaret’s, in Elie, in 1973 after paedophile David Murphy was sacked.

He was employed to remove the threat of abuse, but he subjected kids to beatings and sexual assaults, a court heard.
Prosecutor Eilidh Robertson told jurors: “He abused the trust of vulnerable people he was paid to protect.
“He perpetrated physical and sexual abuse towards them and managed to stay undetected because of his Jekyll and Hyde personality.
“The accused might seem mild-mannered, an upstanding citizen, a family man.
“His wife was at pains to tell you that her Trevor would never have acted like that.
“We are dealing with an intelligent, manipulative man who can turn on and off that predatory, violent behaviour."

Francis was recognised for working as station master in Aberdour, Fife (Photo: PA)

Francis' name came up during the probe into Murphy in the 1990s, but it was only when one brave victim came forward in 2014 that police were able to build a case against him.
They visited ex-residents, who spoke of his abuse.
Three girls – aged 14 to 16 at the time – told Francis’s four-day trial that he would creep into the girls’ dormitory at the home in the night and sexually assault them.
One said he touched her on the chest under her bedsheets. Another said he touched her genitals under her covers.
A male resident told how he once ran away but was picked up by police and taken back. Francis attacked him in a laundry room as punishment.
Francis told jurors he had a good relationship with the kids at the home.

Francis was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace (Photo: Getty)

He said: “They wanted me to watch Top of the Pops with them every week. It helped me relate to the kids and know about acts like Gary Glitter at the time.

“I suppose that’s the wrong name to use today, though.”
Jurors found Francis guilty of two offences of using lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards young girls and three assaults. A lewd and libidinous charge and three assaults were not proven.
Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until next month for background reports and released Francis on bail.
He said: “A prison sentence is a serious possibility.”
Murphy was jailed for 15 years in 2002 after admitting 30 sex abuse charges over 30 years at St Margaret’s and another home.

Mirror