The ‘Dirty Dozen’ (Feb ’86 – Jun ’87)

Hackney police raided a flat on the Kingsmeade Estate in November 1985 after a report that a 13 year old was being abused there, but failed to find the child who was hidden there. Essex police later picked up this information and visited the flat, at Templemead,to question the occupants, Lennie Smith and Robert Oliver, about Jason’s death. Both men had previous convictions for offences against young boys.

In February 1986, Essex detectives found the same 13 year old boy by chance when they raided a house in Croydon as they made inquiries into Jason’s murder.

They rescued him from the gang and sparked off a massive investigation. Two of the first names supplied by the boy were Lennie Smith and Sidney Cooke. Both men had had brutal sex with him. Within days, Smith and Cooke were arrested and charged and remanded to Brixton Prison to await trial. 

 

Convictions

In June 1987, twelve men from this paedophile network who had preyed on runaway boys were convicted. Crown prosecutor Mr John Sevan told the court that between January 1984 and January last year the defendants procured and corrupted boys who had run away from home or from council care. Boys were “hawked about” all over London, staying for a week or two at the homes of different men who passed them on when they got tired of the lads. To keep one step ahead of police, social workers or parents, the men hid the boys. The victims were plied with drink and drugs including cannabis, amphetamines and LSD to weaken their resistance to sexual demands.

 

This network became known as the ‘Dirty Dozen’;

 

Walter Ballantyne, 46; a stallholder at Dalston Market, was one of the ringleaders of the network, he was given 6 years 3 months
Leonard William Smith, 31, 30 months;
Sidney Charles Cooke, 59, remanded for bail reports / got 2 years *
Simon Haeems, 35, 2 years
Colin Byrne, 18, 1 year probation
Daniel Paine, 33, 2 years;
Roy Alan Morris, 26, 30 months,
Alfred Goddard, 58, 2 years;
John Thornton, 36, 8 years;
John Stead,23, 5 years;
Edward Talbot, 47, 1 year;
Brian Turner, 5 years

 

* ‘Lambs to the Slaughter’ by Ted Oliver and Ramsay Smith, 1993 reported that Cooke got 2 years for buggery of the boy that Lennie Smith also abused.