Bristol Church Organist Ian Ball Is Jailed for Indecent Assaults on Boy, 14

Bristol Post
April 24, 2014

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-church-organist-jailed-indecent-assaults/story-21011390-detail/story.html

Ian Ball pictured at the organ

IAN Ball was an accomplished musician who gave recitals at Bristol Cathedral. But behind the scenes the organist sexually abused a young boy, even kissing and embracing him in the cathedral's loft, a court heard.

When the Jimmy Savile inquiry prompted the victim, now an adult, to complain to police, Ball was found to have 84 indecent photographs of girls aged between ten and 13 on his computer when it was searched.

Ball, 46, formerly of Bristol but now living in Worcester, pleaded guilty to four indecent assaults on a boy aged 14. He also pleaded guilty to seven charges of downloading indecent photographs of children.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years yesterday, Judge Michael Roach told him: "What you did not only blighted the remainder of his adolescent years but it led to a blight of his adult years too."

The judge handed Ball a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning him from unchecked internet use and contact with youngsters aged under 16. He was told to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said the boy went to Ball for organ lessons.

Mr Bell said: "He had lots and lots of attention from the defendant. The defendant showered him with art books, poetry books and showed him love letters between him and his ex-girlfriend."

The court heard Ball would hug and kiss his victim in the loft of Bristol Cathedral.

Mr Bell told the court the boy felt "brainwashed", and could not believe what was happening.

He said: "The defendant showed him a sex book. (The boy) had no sexual experience whatsoever."

The court heard Ball took the lad home and touched him and kissed him intimately, before taking him to a concert at Clifton Cathedral. On another occasion Ball went to the boy's home when his parents were away, and they embraced on a bed.

Mr Bell said the youngster felt "incredibly stressed", adding: "He was still very keen to learn the organ and he didn't not want to have lessons. He continued lessons with the defendant on the organ at the cathedral."

Ball conceded to police that he and the boy had had a friendly relationship but initially denied wrongdoing. Police then analysed Ball's computer and found images of young girls – ten of which were deemed to be in the second highest category seriousness, showing sexual abuse.

Robert Duval, defending, said: "A public acknowledgement that the complainant has indeed told the truth is a courageous act on behalf of a man much older than at the time of the offences. It is a decent and honest thing to do."

Mr Duval said Ball became overworked and exhausted and became depressed after his fiancee broke off their engagement, seeking medical advice.

Mr Duval told the court: "He was lonely. He was not himself. He fully accepts that he found an intimacy with a child which he should not have done.

"He acted in this profoundly reprehensible and selfish way. It is a unique stain on his otherwise unblemished character."

Mr Duval said the indecent images were downloaded from legitimate porn websites and there was no evidence of indecent search terms, subscription to child abuse sites or sharing.

He added that Ball had previously admitted to his former wife that he had a brief sexual relationship with a young child. He had also told two clergymen, one of whom went to the police, although no prosecution resulted. A senior barrister friend of Ball had also advised him that a prosecution was unlikely to succeed.

"A short sentence will be an enormous punishment for him," said Mr Duval. "He has completely lost reputation amongst the wider public."