Chippy owner subjected teenagers to 'vile abuse'

SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SEXUALLY TOUCHING SEVEN VICTIMS

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

THE owner of a popular chip shop has been spared an immediate prison term for carrying out sexual assaults on young victims.

Nottingham Crown Court was told how over a two-year period Theo Tsiolas inappropriately touched seven different teenagers - six female and one male.

The 42-year-old married father-of-three, who ran the Jolly Fryer in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, brushed the backsides of girls and stroked another on her thigh and hair while he was alone in a car with her, leaving one of the victims “feeling violated” by his illegal actions.

Jailing him for 18 months, suspended for two years, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “With the exception of one victim they were all young women blossoming into womanhood. They should never have been subjected to the vile abuse you subjected them to.

“Tt was despicable behaviour and, while your family has suffered as a result, it serves to underline just how serious offending like this can affect people. It was abuse, we may as well call it precisely what it is. I am told you feel humiliation. Good, you should.

“TI don't know when they will come to terms with this but it will be well beyond the length of the sentence I am imposing on you today. There must be a custodial sentence but I will suspend it. While there is a lot of offending, it is a long time ago and I am constrained by the sentencing guidelines”