Birmingham Child Sex Offender Caught After Being Named in Suicide Note
A man has been found guilty of 25 child sex offences after being named in a victim's suicide note.
Arthur Davies, 59, physically, mentally and sexually abused six young girls, aged 15 and under, over more than a decade, authorities said.
Davies, of Weoley Castle, Birmingham, was caught after a 15-year-old victim was overwhelmed by the trauma of the sustained abuse and tried to take her own life.
The girl survived and police searched her bedroom, finding a letter addressed to Davies, in which she threatened to "haunt" him until the day he died.
Officers raided his home, seizing computers, camcorders, a pair of imitation firearms, a bullet and a small quantity of cannabis.
Through questioning and forensic examinations of the computers and cameras, police were able to identify five more victims.
Interviews revealed that Davies had abused the girls for more than a decade at his home, which they visited for various reasons.
He plied the girls with drugs and cigarettes to maintain their silence, threatening to hurt them or their families if they spoke to anyone.
West Midlands police carried out a painstaking 20-month-long investigation, eventually charging Davies for the offences on Feb. 15.
He was charged with three counts of assaulting a girl aged under 13, seven counts of assaulting a girl aged under 14, four counts of assaulting a girl aged under 16, 11 counts of gross indecency with a child, two counts of assault/ill treatment of a child and one count of harassment.
"The seasoned detectives who investigated this complex case were shocked by the nature of Davies' crimes," said Detective Constable Sarah Batsford of the Public Protection Department.
"We welcome this unanimous verdict but realise this is little consolation to the six young victims whose lives have been irrevocably damaged by this man and his vile acts."
Davies will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Jan. 23.
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