Paedophile who abused girls at Air Training Corps ‘may have fled to France’

Police hunting a paedophile who abused girls while working in the Air Training Corps say he may have fled to France.

Cadet Sgt James Reading, 35, groped the youngsters while on duty and at illegal under-age drinking parties.

He abused one girl during a sleep-over he organised and assaulted another after telling her she may be promoted if she went on a night exercise with him.

Reading also plied his victims with alcohol and hid his activities by putting bin bags over windows as makeshift curtains.

He offered one girl £50 to touch her chest and was caught red-handed when one female cadet burst in to find him with a topless, terrified and hysterical girl.

Reading skipped bail in June and disappeared and has now been found guilty in his absence and jailed for ten years at Exeter Crown Court.

Officers belive Reading, of Plymouth, Devon, may have fled to France after he revealed he previously told benefits officials he was going there.

Detective Constable Chris Amey said: “He cancelled his benefits and of course they asked him questions about why he was doing so. He said he was going to France.

“We can’t be sure though. He hadn’t got a passport in his name but he may have gone under an alias.”

Reading was sentenced by Judge Erik Salomonsen who said it was ”beyond belief” that he had been able to abuse girls in what is “supposed to be a disciplined service”.

He was able to become an NCO and have a responsible position despite having previous convictions for a domestic assault dating back to 2001, the court heard.

Reading denied eight offences of sexual activity with a child or inciting a child to take part in sexual activity but was found guilty.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence confirmed that a Criminal Records Bureau check had been carried out and that procedures are being reviewed.