A FORMER youth worker convicted of abusing children attempted to escape jail by invoking the Human Rights Act.

Wheelchair-bound Reginald Lane, who is 82, attacked the youngsters when he was aged in his mid to late 70s, some years after stepping down from his role at the Bourne Valley Youth Centre.

He was convicted by jurors at Bournemouth Crown Court in April this year of a number of offences relating to sexual activity with a child.

However, it took until July for a judge to sentence him as Lane made two bids to evade imprisonment for his crimes.

At a planned sentencing on May 25, barristers acting for the defendant asked for an adjournment so a medical report could be compiled on his Parkinson’s disease medication on the grounds that it may have caused a side-effect of hypersexuality.

Judge Peter Crabtree OBE said it was the first time hypersexuality had been raised during the case, adding: “He has not said [as part of a defence] that he was sexually aroused and couldn’t help himself”, and warned: “It is into speculative territory potentially.”

He allowed the adjournment on the grounds that he was in the “unsatisfactory position” of not having enough information about Lane to sentence.

But the asked-for report wasn’t supportive of the new mitigation, and during a second sentencing hearing, Lane’s barristers said it would breach article three of the Human Rights Act to send him to prison.

The law relates to torture and inhumane or degrading treatment.

Despite the mitigation, Judge Peter Crabtree OBE sentenced Lane to four years in prison on Wednesday, July 6.

One of the girls’ fathers called the defendant an “evil monster”.

One of the girls’ fathers said: “They have been dragging this out for as long as possible.

“I think they all hoped he’d never make it to trial. We had to sit there in court and listen to statements relating to his previous good character, we had to hear that him being in prison would affect his human rights, but it was worth every bit of blood and sweat and tears because it’s finally over.”

“He’ll have to do at least two years before he can even apply for parole.

“I’m just glad he’s sitting in a cell tonight.

“It gives me a back a bit of faith in the justice system.

“It’s taken three and a half years to finally get that monster banged up, and now he’s where he belongs.”

The father said Lane had spent an extra two months living “as a free man” due to the delays.

“He’s been able to watch the football, live in his home, be with his family,” he said.

“Right at this minute, he’s at HMP Winchester, and that gives me great joy.

“The only thing you get for free in prison is time. Maybe he’ll have enough of it to think about what he’s done.”

He praised Detective Constable Jonathan McKinney, of Dorset Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team.

“He has been amazing, the whole way through,” the father said.

“If there were more like him, the world would be a better place.”

But he criticised those who stood by Lane during the trial.

“If you defend a paedophile, you’re no better than they are,” he said.

“The people who defended him basically called both of the girls is this case liars.”

Lane helped out at the youth centre and associated play group from the 1970s until around a decade ago.

His convictions are not related to his work at the centre.

The defendant had denied 13 counts relating to the abuse of the children but was convicted of a number of the offences, by a jury sitting at Bournemouth Crown Court.

A majority of ten jurors to two convicted Lane of assault on a girl aged under 13 by penetration and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

The defendant, of Rossmore Road in Poole, was convicted unanimously of three counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was cleared of one further count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration and four further counts of the sexual assault of a child aged under 13.

All of the counts upon which Lane was cleared were ‘multiple incident’ charges alleging 20 or more incidents per charge.

The victims were targeted between February 2009 and February 2012 and the second was targeted between January and March 2013.