A former Plymouth man with links to Britain's worst paedophile William Goad is believed to have been found dead in France.

The man, known as Eddie Pratt, was found hanged at Loudeac, Brittany, on Friday morning. It is believed he left a suicide note which read 'Ha Ha'.

Formal identification has yet to take place. But the dead man is believed to be the same Eddie Pratt that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary were investigating over a string of child sex abuse allegations.

Plymouth police launched a hunt for 56-year-old Pratt when he was named by some of Goad's victims as they were giving statements.

He was then exposed as being one of Goad's accomplices in a Panorama programme on the BBC

Web counselling urged for inmates

Survivors of Plymouth paedophile William Goad who are in jail could be helped by counselling over the internet.

Operation Emotion, set up to support Goad survivors, is writing to prison governors, asking them to allow victims access to its website.

Goad, 60, was jailed for life last October after sexually abusing young boys over a 40-year period.

Paedophile Jail Appeal Rejected

The Court of Appeal has refused to increase the minimum jail term to be served by a Plymouth man, thought to be Britain's most prolific paedophile.

Members of a support group for victims of sexual abuse had hoped William Goad, 60, would be behind bars for 18 years, after abusing boys for decades. BBC News Reports.

The following is a statement from Devon & Cornwall Police following Panoramas - 'Crime Wave' broadcast on 6 February 2005.

"Originally, only one allegation was made to the Police concerning Goad. The victim was interviewed in depth and based on the evidence obtained Goad was convicted of indecent assault. A subsequent allegation by the same victim some years later lead to officers visiting and revisiting potential witnesses to pursue a more serious allegation.

"Subsequently, in 1998, two further allegations had been received, and officers visited and re visited the potential victims in an effort to obtain vital evidence from them to pursue the investigation. The tenacity of officers involved in the investigation eventually lead to Goads arrest and charge, overcoming difficulties with the victims and amount of time that had passed.

"Some victims were reluctant to assist the police - others lead lifestyles (as a result of being sexual abuse victims) where drug taking made interviewing them very difficult. On one occasion, a victim was interviewed a number of times over two years before his evidence could be recorded." Statement Continued....

ATTACK ON SEX BEAST IN JAIL

Sex beast William Goad suffered serious facial injuries after he was beaten up in his prison cell, the Evening Herald can reveal. An inmate at HMP Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight - where Goad is serving life for abusing scores of young boys over a period spanning three decades - has been charged with trying to kill the 60-year-old. Anthony James Hawkins, aged 23, is charged with attempting to murder the Plymouth paedophile. Christopher Terrance Egan, aged 39, is charged with grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the same incident. Both are due to appear before Isle of Wight Magistrates on January 18. Goad - branded Britain's worst paedophile - needed 20 stitches to his face following an incident inside his prison cell. The alleged assault took place on Sunday, January 2 and Goad was taken to St Mary's Hospital on the island. He has since returned to the prison's hospital wing. Detectives from Hampshire CID were called in to investigate the alleged assault. A spokeswoman for Hampshire Constabulary said: "Goad suffered injuries about the head and needed 20 stitches to his face. He was taken to St Mary's Hospital. "Two men have been charged in connection with the incident and are due to appear before Isle of Wight Magistrates on January 18." A Home Office spokeswoman for the Prison Service confirmed the incident happened on January 2.

POLICE PROBING CLAIMS OF ABUSE - 07 February 2005

Police who caged Plymouth paedophile William Goad today confirmed investigations were continuing into two named alleged sex offenders linked with the city pervert. The news came after Devon and Cornwall Constabulary came in for heavy criticism in the BBC documentary Panorama broadcast last night.

Claims were made that police did not effectively follow up allegations made by Goad's victims years ago that other men were involved, during his reign of terror in which he sexually abused young boys.

Two men were named, one of whom was traced by the programme and who said he was unaware that allegations had been made against him.

A paedophile has been ordered to pay £50,000 towards the cost of bringing him to justice.

William Goad, of Ford Park Road, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of serious sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault.

The 60-year-old was sentenced on Monday for the offences which took place on young boys over a 30-year period.   He was told on Tuesday to pay £20,000 towards prosecution costs and £30,000 towards his defence team's costs.

TV claims prompt paedophile probe

Police are to investigate alleged abuse by two paedophiles linked to jailed Plymouth man William Goad after claims in a BBC documentary.

Goad, 60, was jailed for life last October after sexually abusing young boys over a 40-year period.

Ray Zola, one of Goad's victims, told Panorama he had told police about another abuser, but they said they did not have resources to follow it up.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they could now follow up Mr Zola's claims.

Eight years' jail for sex priest

A Roman Catholic priest has been jailed for a total of eight years at Cardiff crown court for a string of sex offences.
Father Joseph Jordan, 42, of Barry, south Wales, pleaded guilty to six charges of indecent assault committed between February 1987 and February 1989.
The attacks happened while Jordan was a teacher in Sutton in Surrey and in Doncaster before he joined the priesthood, the court heard.
Following the trial, there was a call for the Archbishop of Cardiff, Most Rev John Aloysius Ward, to resign by a former south Wales priest, Ambrose Walsh.

'POISON PEN' FLY POSTERS SPARK POLICE WARNING

Police are probing the distribution of fly posters which make claims about an alleged paedophile in a Westcountry resort. Officers say they are anxious to speak to the author of the material which has been posted through letterboxes in the King's Ash area of Paignton.

Det Con Dave Sherfield, of Torbay Police's public protection unit, warned: "We don't want people taking matters in to their own hands thinking they have a right to do so.

"If there are concerns they should contact us and we will investigate and take appropriate action if necessary."

He confirmed that his team had received two reports of notices being circulated in the town over the last few days.

No names are mentioned, but the anonymous author of the piece does list an address and make claims over the sexual orientation of the occupant.

WEBSITE JUDGE STRUCK OFF

A shamed crown court judge who trained in Plymouth has been thrown out of the legal profession for downloading child pornography from a paedophile website.

David Selwood, aged 71, was spared jail last year after police found 75 photographs of naked boys aged between eight and 14 on his home computer.

The father of four, who studied in Tavistock, had personally pleaded not to be struck off the Roll. He told the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal in London he had sentenced many others for similar crimes and found the pictures 'unpleasant and repugnant'.

IS IT TIME TO CHANGE LAW?

Sex abuse victims and city MPs have backed a Plymouth mum who is calling for changes in the law to prevent her daughter's sex attacker living near their home.

Yesterday, the Evening Herald revealed how Colin Ernest Frederick Morton had moved back to live in the same area of the city as his victim.

Morton was convicted of indecently assaulting the girl, who cannot be named, in 2001. He was sentenced to a three-year community rehabilitation order, which included a condition that he stay away from his victim's home.

But the order expired this month and now Morton has returned to his mother's home.

Empower Parents to protect their children

www.forsarah.com believe it is every parent's right to have controlled access to information about individuals in their neighbourhood, including convicted child sex offenders who may pose a risk to their child.

In appropriate cases this access should be also given to responsible members of the public who have a responsibility for the care of children.