Internationally renowned artist, Graham Ovenden has been convicted at Truro crown court of sex offences against children. The artist was found guilty of one count of indecent assault and six charges of indecency with a child.
Ovenden, 70 was found guilty by a jury at Truro crown court of four charges of indecency with a child. However, after further deliberations, he was also found guilty of two more charges of indecency and one of indecent assault.
The jury, made up of seven men and five women found him guilty by a majority of 10-2 on the further charges.
He was acquitted of the two further charges of indecent assault.
Ovenden, having been taken ill over the weekend, was not present in court to see the jury return the verdicts. The defending counsel, Christopher Quinlan QC, told the judge that Ovenden was resting at home having received treatment at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.
Ovenden denied all the charges relating to the children. All four children are now adults having been born between 1972 and 1985.
The incidents which involve young girls are said to have taken place at Ovenden’s former London address and current Cornwall address.
Prosecutor, Ramsay Quaife described Ovenden in court as a pedophile who abused children while they modeled for him.
The court heard that the four claimants contacted police long after the abuse is alleged to have taken place. This is because they realized after the fact, what exactly had happened to them as girls.
Ovenden, who told the court that he had taken pictures of children denied the abuse ever happened. He took pictures including those in various states of undress although he says they were not indecent.
He accused police of “falsifying” images that were recovered from his computer, and also described his charge as a “witch-hunt” against those who produce work involving naked children.
Ovenden lives near Bodmin Moor in Cornwall and is a former pupil under Sir Peter Blake who has had his work exhibited in galleries across the globe.
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