A former contestant on the BBC show Dragons' Den has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison after being found guilty of 13 child sex offences, including sexual assault. Richard Hazell, 48, from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, was convicted at St Albans Crown Court.
The court heard that Hazell's offences came to light after the father of one of his victims complained to social services. Following his arrest, three other victims came forward, with at least one being under 13 at the time of the abuse.
Hazell was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of taking indecent photographs of children. Additionally, he was convicted of seven charges of downloading indecent images of children and one of making an indecent pseudo-photograph of a child. Police discovered 2,957 indecent images on his computers.
During the trial, Hazell claimed the images and related search terms could have been 'parachuted' onto his computers while they were being repaired. The court also heard that his wife is divorcing him.
An NSPCC spokesman for the East of England said: 'A jail sentence alone is not enough. Hazell must complete a treatment programme to tackle his behaviour and any risk he may pose on release. He prolonged his young victims' horrific ordeal by pleading not guilty and we hope they get all the appropriate support they need.'
Hazell appeared on Dragons' Den in 2007, seeking a £10,000 investment for a diamond drill he had invented, but was unsuccessful.
