Sex offender was approved as a foster carer

A man who sexually abused two girls aged as young as 11 was caught after one of his victims found out he had been approved as a foster carer and feared he would carry out further attacks.

Charles Phillips, 60, who is known as Julian, had denied five charges of indecent assault and two rape charges on one girl and three indecent assaults against another. But yesterday, a jury at Norwich Crown Court found him guilty on all counts.

The case comes after the conviction of Betty and Walter Roe - two foster carers from Norwich jailed last week. The court found Mrs Roe guilty of cruelty to five girls in her care while Mr Roe admitted two counts of indecent assault against two girls. The judge told them they had "besmirched the reputations" of foster carers.

Phillips, of Maid Marion Road, Norwich, carried out the assaults more than 20 years ago and one victim, who cannot be identified, told the jury she came forward to police when she heard he was working as a foster carer.

The woman, who is now in her 30s, said she had felt "dirty and ashamed" after she had been raped by Phillips. She told the jury: "I never intended to do anything. It was only because I was told he was a foster carer that I felt I had to do something."

Phillips had started off by tickling her and then sexually assaulting her before raping her between 1983 and 1985 when she was about 11 or 12. His other victim was between 12 and 14 years old when the offences occurred.

Character references presented to the court described Phillips, who along with his partner was approved as a foster carer in 2003 and also worked as a taxi driver, as "kind and caring".

He told the court: "The allegations are just a pack of lies. I would never hurt anyone in this way and would never contemplate doing it."

Phillips, who had also worked at Tuckswood post office, has been remanded in custody until March 1 when it is anticipated that he will be sentenced.

Investigating officer Det Con Sarah Collins, of Norfolk police's child protection unit, said: "We started to investigate this case after one of the victims found out that Phillips had begun to foster children. She had never reported the abuse she had suffered at his hands before but wanted to prevent other youngsters going through the same awful ordeal she had endured as a child.

"She raised the alarm and it is extremely commendable that she did so. I would like to applaud the bravery of both victims in this case. It must have been very difficult and traumatic for them to testify before a court and re-live the abuse they suffered. This case does show that even if offences happened some time in the past you can still come forward and report them - it's never too late, you will be taken seriously and we will thoroughly investigate your complaint."