Paedophile children’s entertainer jailed for 30 years for string of appalling sex offences

A popular children’s entertainer who horrifically raped and sexually abused a string of young girls was jailed for 30 years on Monday

Magician Paul McKee, a Mormon, who was known professionally as Professor Paulos, provided innocent fun for hundreds of youngsters at numerous parties and events. But behind the smiling facade he was an evil sexual predator whose sickening depraved behaviour included abusing some victims who were ‘barely out of nappies’.

The 57-year-old had to be extradited from Thailand - where he has a wife and young daughter - to face trial. He refused to face up to his appalling behaviour but was convicted of abusing seven girls over a 24 year period, including raping one of them when she was just two years old.

His victims described him in court as ‘a monster’ and sentencing him Judge David Swinnerton said: “It is hard to disagree. Your behaviour was predatory and persistent over many years. You created an environment in the house where children wanted to come. You had animals – a pig, monkeys. You held discos.”

His first wife had left him and a visitor to his Wirral home in Wallasey said it was hard to discern an adult in charge.

“You worked as a children’s entertainer, on the Wirral and in holiday parks, known as Professor Paulos….. It is notable though that you chose to work in a sphere that would put you in contact with children. You also spent some time in a school after your move to Thailand, although you were very evasive about that in evidence.”

He described him as ‘highly emotional, manipulative, controlling and physically violent’.

Judge Swinnerton added: “Throughout the trial, the pain and psychological damage that you have caused to those seven women was raw and obvious. I once again pay tribute to them for their strength in coming forward and their determination and courage in giving evidence. It is remarkable that they have been able to create the lives and families that they have.

“That has been difficult and they each still experience the effects of the trauma they experienced. No doubt they always will. I have listened carefully to their moving personal statements. You on the other hand have shown not one sign of remorse. You, through your evidence, attacked anyone and everyone you could.”

Judge Swinnerton said there was ‘a particularly sickening moment’ when he said he would forgive the complainants for their accusations. “You do not seem to experience shame, guilt, remorse or empathy. You acted on your own sexual desires with no care for the traumatic impact on those you abused,” he added.

He said that the author of a pre-sentence report stated, ‘It is clear that Mr McKee has persisted in targeting, vulnerable young females and subjecting them to sexual abuse and cruel behaviour which evidences significant distorted thinking, cognitive deficits in his consequential thinking and a lack of victim empathy

‘He is currently assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm of a sexual nature to children- females ranging between the ages of 2 and 16 years.’

“I agree. In my judgement you remain and will remain a danger to children for a long time.”

During his remarks one distressed woman in the public gallery started shouting abuse at the defendant, screaming: “I want someone to kill him. I want him dead.” As she was taken outside by companions she shouted, “I want the f…ing bastard dead.”

Judge Swinnerton told McKee that he will be subject to custody and then licence requirements until he is about 90 years old.

Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described McKee, who appeared via video link from prison, as “a predatory paedophile capable to extreme acts of violence against very young children.’

Liverpool Crown Court heard that McKee, who made some watch pornography and videod the abuse, also got one of them pregnant. He had begun sexually assaulting her when she was 14 and she told how she recalled the night the child was conceived - because he had tied her up and raped her. Like other victims he had regularly raped her and she suffered years of systematic abuse, said Mr Roberts.

One of the other complainants initially revealed details of her ordeal to a relative 20 years ago but she threatened to kill herself if the police were told so the information went no further. Some years later four of the victims met up with McKee’s brother and told him he had ‘treated them like little sex slaves’ but they did not feel able to go to the police.

His brother messaged McKee, then living in Thailand, where he worked in school, and the defendant replied ‘saying he was sorry for what he had done and was asking for God’s forgiveness’. The first victim to reveal what had been happening also messaged him and he replied he was sorry, said Mr Roberts.

It was only in 2017 that the victims went to the police. Mr Roberts described their video recorded interviews as ‘harrowing, dark, disturbing’.

McKee, 57, of Wallasey Village, Wallasey, Wirral, who had denied that any of the offences happened, was convicted of 13 sexual offences including multiple incidents of rape and indecent assault spanning almost 25 years. He was cleared of raping one of the women and buggery of another.

David Polglase, defending, said that there may be suspicions about his activities abroad but they were just that. Judge Swinnerton commented that he noted his career in this country as a children’s entertainer and also that he worked in a school in Thailand ‘to put himself in close proximity to children’.

Mr Polglase said that McKee has no previous convictions and pointed out that he would inevitably spend ‘a large proportion of the remainder of his life in prison’ and urged the judge not to impose a life sentence on him. McKee was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order was also imposed.