Former Children's Home Boss, 77, Accused of Historic Sex Abuse of Boys As Young As Nine Is Found Dead at Home Weeks before He Was Due to Stand Trial

By Martin Robinson
Daily Mail
January 16, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2913138/Former-children-s-home-boss-77-accused-historic-sex-abuse-boys-young-nine-dead-home-weeks-stand-trial.html

John Stingemore, 72, was set to face a string of historic sex abuse charges relating to his time as manager of a children's home but he has been found dead

A suspected paedophile children's home boss has been found dead - just weeks before he was due to stand trial for allegedly abusing boys as young as nine.

John Stingemore, 72, was set to face a string of historic sex abuse charges relating to his time as manager of Grafton Close children's home in West London in the 1970s and 1980s.

Stingemore, who was charged in September 2013 with multiple counts of indecent assault, taking indecent images of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit buggery, was found dead by police.

A spokeswoman from the coroner's office in Hastings, near where he lived in St Leonard's on Sea, East Sussex, said: 'He has passed away.'

A source said that a post-mortem examination would be needed to find the exact cause of death.

Stingemore was set to appear for trial at Southwark Crown Court on February 2 alongside Catholic priest Father Anthony McSweeney.

His former children's home is at the centre of Operation Fernbridge, a Met probe launched last February looking into claims of a paedophile ring operating out of the Elm Guest House in Barnes, South West London.

As part of the probe investigators are looking into claims that children were taken from the home to the Elm Guest House to be sexually abused.

A police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Stonehouse Drive, St Leonards-on-Sea at 3.18pm on January 14 to concern for the health of a man. The man was found collapsed but was declared dead at the scene.

'He has been named as John Stingemore, 72. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A post mortem is yet to take place and the death has been passed to the coroner'.

Allegations: Stingemore, 72, was manager of Grafton Close children's home in Richmond, now a block of flats, where victims were allegedly taken to the nearby Elm Gust House and abused

Detectives are examining allegations that several high profile figures including the late MP Cyril Smith, abused children from Grafton Close at the guest house.

Victims were said to be between the ages of nine and 15-years-old.

McSweeney, from Pease Pottage, West Sussex, was a trainee priest at the time of the alleged attacks, while Stingemore ran the home for vulnerable children.

McSweeney is accused of taking an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of indecent assault on a male, as well as three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and a further count of possessing indecent images.