Sex beast royal butler jailed

DAVID HOBDAY

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A FORMER Royal butler from Stalybridge who served the Queen has been jailed for child abuse offences.

Paul Kidd (55), of Grasscroft Road, pleaded guilty to 29 charges, including indecent assault and sexual activity with a child, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

The paedophile was given an indeterminate term of imprisonment for public protection and ordered to serve at least six years.

Kidd was senior footman to the Queen Mother from 1979 to 1984 and previously worked as a royal butler to the Queen from 1977.

The charges relate to historic sexual abuse against three boys between 1974 and 1977, 1981 and 1983 — when he was in the employ of the Queen Mother — and 2005 to 2008.

Described by police as a “brilliant groomer”, Kidd even took one of his victims for tea with the Queen Mother.

The former candidate for the UK Independence Party was caught after one of his victims read a newspaper interview, which he gave on the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, boasting about his royal connections.

The victim, now aged in his 40s, reported he had been indecently assaulted by Kidd at the butler’s home in the early 1980s when he was as young as 13. An investigation was launched and evidence of further abuse was uncovered.

Among items found on his computer were 18,019 images of unknown children and a video recording of him abusing another youngster as recently as 2006.

Another victim, who was treated to the royal tea party, came forward after reading publicity on the case.

He befriended Kidd at the age of 13 in 1973 and was abused between the ages of 14 and 16.

Kidd introduced his most recent victim, who was abused from the age of 14 up to three times a week until Kidd’s arrest, to a friend, David Hobday, who also abused the youngster.

Hobday (57) of St John Street, Dukinfield, was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of possessing an indecent image of a child.

Kidd pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault, six counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted 11 counts of making indecent images of a child and two counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Det Cons James Teggart, from Ashton’s Child Protection Unit, said: “The levels of abuse Kidd and Hobday subjected their victims to is nothing short of monstrous.”