Panto paedophile tried to molest girl in Alhambra audience

A judge today ordered a dangerousness assessment on 70-year-old Malcolm Naylor after a jury convicted the Oxford University chemistry graduate of attempting to sexually assault the child at the city's Alhambra Theatre almost a year ago.

The jury heard how Naylor, of Rushton Road, Thornbury, Bradford, sat next to the girl, who had gone to the performance with a relative, and asked her if he could feel her private parts.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the girl said no and jumped out of her seat before telling her relative and an usher what Naylor had said to her.

The theatre manager was called for, but Naylor managed to get away via an emergency exit.

Prosecutor Stephen Wood said the defendant, who had gone to the festive production on his own, had given his address when he purchased a ticket and he was arrested in January.

The court heard that Naylor had previous convictions for sexual offences against girls and young women dating back to the mid 1960s and in October 1985 he was convicted of indecent assaults against a 15-year-old and another female after drugging them.

Naylor was remanded into custody after the jury returned their guilty verdict and Recorder Simon Batiste said his use of drugs to commit previous offences was "a dangerous trait" for someone who was a trained chemist.

The judge said the offence at the theatre had been brazen and the defendant's evidence that he had "no control" over what he was doing was also a deeply worrying aspect of the case.

Recorder Batiste confirmed that he was considering an extended sentence, but he decided to adjourn Naylor's case for further information about his previous convictions and for the probation service to undertake a dangerousness assessment of the defendant.

Naylor will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on January 26 and the judge told him:"You will remain in custody until then but you must recognise that a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case."