Pedophile associated deaths  Grafton Close

Former children's home boss, 77, accused of historic sex abuse of boys as young as nine is found dead at home weeks before he was due to stand trial 

By MARTIN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 12:34, 16 January 2015 | UPDATED: 12:58, 16 January 2015


John Stingemore, 72, was set to face a string of historic sex abuse charges relating to his time as manager of a children's home but he has been found dead

A suspected paedophile children's home boss has been found dead - just weeks before he was due to stand trial for allegedly abusing boys as young as nine.

John Stingemore, 72, was set to face a string of historic sex abuse charges relating to his time as manager of Grafton Close children's home in West London in the 1970s and 1980s.

Stingemore, who was charged in September 2013 with multiple counts of indecent assault, taking indecent images of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit buggery, was found dead by police. 

A spokeswoman from the coroner's office in Hastings, near where he lived in St Leonard's on Sea, East Sussex, said: 'He has passed away.'

A source said that a post-mortem examination would be needed to find the exact cause of death. 

Stingemore was set to appear for trial at Southwark Crown Court on February 2 alongside Catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney.

His former children's home is at the centre of Operation Fernbridge, a Met probe launched last February looking into claims of a paedophile ring operating out of the Elm Guest House in Barnes, South West London.

As part of the probe investigators are looking into claims that children were taken from the home to the Elm Guest House to be sexually abused.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2913138/Former-children-s-home-boss-77-accused-historic-sex-abuse-boys-young-nine-dead-home-weeks-stand-trial.html#ixzz3P5ldBELV 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook