I read the following website with great interest

Bullies in the Pagan Community

My story is somewhat different.
In my case, someone I hold dear is being subject to all the things on this list, because of my actions.

What am I going to do about it, I really don't know.

I know that since it was my actions that have brought the damage to the reputation of my HP David Sands, it must be my actions that make the situation clear.

Lots of advise would be appreciated. And perhaps publishing the story so that everyone can see exactly what happened would be a small start.

In the summer of 2000 I went to the UK to study Wicca. I had found a warm, wise and delightful teacher whom I could really respect. His name is David Sands of Cambridge Uk. His article on What is Paganism is copied all over the web, and one site even sells it, most acknowledge him as the author, but some don't.

I rented a room for two of those months from someone who turned out to be a child-molester. This persons name is David Laughton in Cambridge UK.

I was somewhat uncomfortable with his attraction to 13 year old girl children, which he exhibited on several occasions. Most particularly during a camping trip to Avebury, but each of those children had protection and nothing came of his attempts.

He also touches and says horrible things to teen girls at pubs in Cambridge, and the girls all try to move away, but none of them have been taught to make a scene and force him to leave them alone. But again, nothing came of it, so I rationalized my discomfort away.

My silence must have appeared as consent or support to Laughton, as he shortly began to tell me things that I had no clue what to do about.

The child in question had been first seduced and introduced into BDSM activities by Laughton 2 years earlier when she was 14 years old. Her nickname is Izzy. Laughton had told her that he was 24, removing 10 years from his age.The poor child naturally resisted this pain and humiliation and sought out the assistance of a person calling herself an HPS, the only name I have for this person is Corrine, I do not know her full name.

Corrine did some counseling, and suggested that they separate for some time to resolve the issues. And so, Izzy stopped seeing Laughton, and eventually refused to communicate with him at all.

This then began a 2 year stage of stalking for Laughton. He kept track of Izzy, befriended her friends and persuaded them to let him use their e-mail addresses to keep talking to Izzy, and to make her relationship with an older older man seem glamorous and exciting.

All of this Laughton freely bragged about to me.
He also frequently mentioned his conviction that if he were to break into Izzy's home and rape her, she would not cry out, and would come back to him.

Now during my stay the perfect opportunity finally presented itself to him.
Izzy was going on a vacation trip, without her parents. Her parents who had no clue about what their daughter had been subject to for all these years.

She was very excited and happy about her trip. She naturally told her friend, who was nothing more than Laughton pretending to be a female just slightly older than Izzy all about it, why she liked it, what she found exciting about, in fact all the details Laughton needed to entrap her.

After she left for the trip, Laughton followed her. He stayed at the same hotel that Izzy had told "her friend" that she would be staying at.

When Izzy accidentally bumped into him, he acted suprized to see her there. Again civility betrayed her, as it always does when dealing with this type of person.
Instead of immediately getting out of there, she allowed him to engage her in conversation. Where he told her all the wonderful things about the place, why he loved it and why he kept coming back ... though truth is, he'd never been there before. The child was so pleased, someone who loved her favorite place for exactly the same reasons she did. And he seemed so caring and friendly, and after all, now she was older and could 'handle' things.

Within the month he had persuaded her to move in with him. She was attending school in Cambridge, and her parents lived some hours away so renting a room would be such a convenience for everyone. Her parents were lied to about the living situation naturally.

Thus, it came about that I finally meet Izzy, who at 16 years old, could not be mistaken for the 18 year old he'd been telling me she was.

As I watched Izzy becoming morose, and all her freedoms being stripped away, as Laughton drove away her friends, collected her from school, kept her in isolation, etc., I could no longer rationalize away all my doubts and concerns.
The other roommate also frequently discussed things that she had seen and how worried she was. This roommate (Claire) moved out rather than watch the child be destroyed, but did nothing else.

After discussing the situation with my daughter, who very clearly indicated that she expected her mother to do 'something' ... grins ... gotta love my daughter, I sent an e-mail to Izzy's mother, explaining everything. And I do mean everything. The past history, the 2 years of stalking, which friends were really Laughton in disguise and how the final entrapment occurred.

But, my time was up, and I had to leave. So I requested my dear HP, David Sands to stand in for me and be a local contact for Izzy's mother until I could get a new phone number back home. I also gave her Claire's e-mail information to verify what I had been saying, as Laughton had told her these same things, and she had seen much of it since she had been there for over a year.

Once Izzy's mother had digested the information I had given her, and verified my reasons for telling her with my HP. She went to have a chat with her daughter.
Izzy was so relieved that the lies were revealed that she broke into tears and went home immediately with her mother. In the UK a 16 year old can leave home legally, so going home with her mother was completely voluntary on Izzy's part and her mother could have done nothing if Izzy had not wanted to.

Shortly thereafter, Laughton broke into Izzy's home and attempted the rape scene he had been envisioning for the last 2 years. Izzy did not accept his presence, and she screamed immediately. Her parents rushed in and Laughton ran away.
He has since been convicted in Bury St. Edmonds court for breaking and entering as the police could not make the rape charge stick, as Izzy's scream had saved her.
This is all verifiable in Bury St. Edmonds court records.
As is the fact that he has a long history of violence and crime that I had no idea of at the time.

Ever since that time, since I am safely out of Laughton's reach in the States my HP has been the one being victimized by Laughton.

Every single thing on this list has been done to my wonderful teacher and HP David Sands.

Laughton has waged a war of hate on David Sands and his family. He has spread malicious rumors around the Cambridge scene which many people have accepted without question.
He has collected accomplices, exactly as described on this website.
He has attacked David's family's house, cutting electric and phone wires and other acts of vandalism, including driving a steel bar thru the radiator of his car.

On 8th July 2002, 2 years after freeing Izzy, Jeanne Ashworth by mobile phone, claimed that Laughton said he would 'cut the throats' of David's two daughters.
Did she make this up?
Was she repeating what Laughton had told her as she initially stated?
Why did she feel the need to repeat it,if so?
Did Jeanne Ashworth expect that such a statement would not be reported to the Police?
We will never know.
What we do know, is that when the Cambridge Police contacted Jeanne Ashworth she retracted her statement and denied that either conversation ever happened.
Details available thru the Cambridge Police.

At Strawberry Fair 2003, 3 years after freeing Izzy, Laughton saw David Sands and attempted to kill him in two assaults in full view of his children.
One of the children was hurt.
Now the children are afraid to even visit Cambridge in case he is there and their current address is having to be kept secret.
In addition, a witness by the name of Henry who knows David Laughton, was persuaded to retract his statement.
Details of his origional statement to the police, and his retraction are available thru the Cambridge Police.

People should have the right not to live in fear -- so it says in the Cambridge Victims of Crime statement.
However Cambridge Police get brickbats for appalling policing.
They have issued a warrant for his arrest but have never put in any effort to find him.

Protection of our children should not result in unhindered abuse by a child molester nor harassment by the community.

Please help me to bring the truth to those who are willing to hear it, and free my wonderful HP David Sands from this horrible mess.

With Gratitude for this wonderful site and this opportunity to bring this mess out into the light.

Bullies in the Pagan Community

If you are an accomplice victim of David Laughton's please read this website, and learn how to free yourself safely from his influence.

A thank you from Izzy's mother.

A thank you from Izzy