Artist Graham Ovenden Sentenced Over Sex Charges Against Children

Top Artist Sentenced Over Child Sex Charges

An internationally renowned artist will be sentenced after being found guilty of a string of sex charges against children.

Graham Ovenden, 70, who studied under the so-called "Godfather of Pop-Art" Sir Peter Blake, was convicted of six charges of indecency with a child and one allegation of indecent assault, relating to three girls. He was acquitted of two further indecent assaults.

The jury earlier found Ovenden not guilty of three charges of indecent assault on the direction of Judge Graham Cottle.

Ovenden, of The Garage, in Barley Splatt near Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, denied all the charges relating to four children - now all adults - between 1972 and 1985.

During the trial in March, Ovenden admitted his artwork - much celebrated in galleries across the world at the height of his commercial popularity - included portraits of nude children.

But he denied indecency, disputing claims that he had a sexual interest in children and allegations from four witnesses that he abused them as young models.

He will be sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court today.

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