Former BBC Radio Presenter Returns to Prison for Violating Sex Offender Conditions
A 67-year-old former BBC presenter, previously convicted for sexually abusing teenage girls, has been sent back to prison after breaching the terms of his sex offender order. Peter Rowell, who hosted the Afternoon Show on BBC Radio Bristol, was originally sentenced to six years in jail in 2012 for a series of appalling offences.
Details of the Original Conviction and Recent Breaches
Rowell pleaded guilty to approximately 12 counts of indecent assault involving five girls under the age of 16, with these crimes occurring between 1989 and the early 1990s. Additionally, the father-of-one admitted to six counts of making indecent photographs of children, after authorities discovered over 400 indecent images in his possession.
As part of his sentence, he was mandated to sign the sex offenders register, which requires him to inform police of any addresses where he stays permanently, regularly, or with children. However, he has repeatedly failed to comply with this requirement, leading to his recent imprisonment.
Newport Magistrates' Court heard that on one occasion, Rowell was unlawfully present at a property for more than 12 hours with a child under 18, with or without an adult supervision. In another instance, he travelled 30 miles from his former flat in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, to stay at an address in Pontypridd, South Wales, without notifying the police.
Furthermore, on a separate occasion, he neglected to inform officers about an address where he had resided for seven days or longer between November of last year and March.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Rowell, currently of Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching sex offender notification requirements. Consequently, he has been jailed for 29 weeks, more than a decade after his initial sexual offences were committed.
This recent sentencing follows a tumultuous period in his life. In March 2011, the former radio DJ triggered a police search when he was reported missing after failing to appear for his regular afternoon programme. His car was found abandoned in a supermarket car park, but he was located safe and well the following day in Keswick, Cumbria.
Prior to his disappearance, police had raided his home and seized his computer, uncovering the indecent images. He was subsequently arrested in April of that year.
Background and Career
Before joining the BBC in 2010, Rowell had a lengthy career in media. He served as a news bulletin reader on ITV West for over ten years and worked as a DJ for the southwest-based regional radio station GWR during the 1980s.
During his 2012 sentencing at Bristol Crown Court, Judge David Ticehurst remarked on the stark contrast between Rowell's public persona and his private actions. "You had a life and lifestyle that would have been the envy of many - an apparently successful career in a glamorous and glittering world," the judge stated. "Behind that public image you were a man that hid a dark secret. You were attracted to young girls, sexually abusing and exploiting them for your own gratification."
Judge Ticehurst emphasized that this was not an isolated incident, but rather a pattern of behaviour. "It is not a case of you involving yourself with a star-struck teenager on an isolated occasion and succumbing to temptation but a series of offences involving five separate girls over a period of five years," he added. "These girls made contact with you as a minor celebrity. You invited them to visit your studio and they believed they were getting an insight into the media world. In truth it was enabling you to sexually abuse them."
The case highlights the ongoing legal consequences for sex offenders who fail to adhere to post-conviction requirements, underscoring the importance of compliance with court-mandated conditions to protect public safety.
