Eight Years in Jail for Former Children's TV Worker

Chiswick-based David Trainer convicted of sexually assaulting four minors

David Trainer, the 63-year-old TV and film special effects worker who lived on Chiswick High Road has been jailed for eight years for sexually assaulting children during the eighties and nineties

He was sentenced this Tuesday (15 August) at the Inner London Crown Court after having pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and six counts of indecency with a child. The offences were committed against four victims between 1980 and 1991. They were aged between 7 and 13 years old at the time they were indecently assaulted and are now adults.

David Trainer

They came forward after becoming aware of his previous trial in 2011 for which he received an eight year prison sentence for similar sexual offences against young girls.

They reported being abused in various different settings - in Kent and Cornwall at the victims’ home address or at Trainer’s former home in Brixton, and in one instance at a festival where the victim’s parents had entrusted Trainer to take her.

Trainer was produced from prison and arrested in relation to these allegations in June and September 2015, and he was subsequently charged on 13 January 2017.

Trainer also worked as a photographer and once had his work exhibited alongside William Henry Fox Talbot. His documentary portrayal of London life featured in a Tate Britain exhibition in 2007 when his work showed alongside names such as Lewis Carroll, Bill Brandt and David Bailey. He also worked as a puppeteer on 1986 musical 'Little Shop of Horrors'

DI Angela Craggs of the Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said, “David Trainer preyed on and abused young children, and exploited the trust placed in him by the parents of the victims in the worst way possible.

“The victims in this case have been waiting for justice for decades, and it was Trainer’s previous conviction for similar offences which gave them the courage to come forward and report their ordeals at the hands of Trainer.

“This case sends out a strong message that the Metropolitan Police will listen to victims and investigate historical abuse allegations, and the passage of time is not a barrier to bringing the people responsible to justice.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case who have shown remarkable strength in recounting the abuse they suffered to ensure that Trainer was punished for what he did. It is possible that there are yet more victims, and we would urge them to contact us - we will support you and treat any information you give us with the strictest confidence."

If you would like to report any offences committed by Trainer, call the Child Abuse Investigation Team at Lambeth on 020 7232 6344 to be put in touch with a specialist investigator.

August 15, 2017