KUALA LUMPUR: Possibly the most prolific paedophile in Britain, Richard Huckle sent a series of chilling emails to gain the trust of a priest, who runs orphanages in India, to get access to children living there.
The MailOnline reported yesterday that an Indian pastor, George Fernandes, 37, had revealed that Huckle targeted his New Hope for Children Orphanage in Bangalore.
Huckle sent emails to Fernandes after finding the orphanage on Facebook, detailing his plans to travel through India and expressing his enthusiasm to visit the orphanage.
In his first email to Fernandes on June 30, 2013, Huckle said he was from the United Kingdom but was studying for an information technology degree in Malaysia.
“I’m interested in visiting your orphanages in Bangalore and Ambur.
“It would be a great experience for me to visit your orphanages, meet and help the children, and I would be more than happy to use my photography and video editing skills to help make some promotional material for your ministry,” said Huckle in his email quoted by the news portal.
Fernandes said he accepted Huckle’s offer, not suspecting the horrific crimes he was capable of.
Huckle had even asked the pastor if he knew of anywhere he could stay, “either with a local family or at a cheap hotel”, but was offered a room at the priest’s house instead.
However, Fernandes said Huckle was not left alone with the children during his two-day stay and it is believed that he did not abuse any of the children there.
“I am shocked to read about what he had done. In hindsight, I can see he just wanted to gain access to our kids.
“He seemed nice in the emails and we were excited to host him as we thought he was keen to serve the orphans.
“One thing I noticed that was unusual about his personality was his silence. He would not speak much or say anything about his past.
“He’s very quiet and very different than other Western volunteers we have had in the past, and he would hardly open up even during dinner at my home.
“He had very good knowledge of photography and taught us many new things and we learnt a lot from him, but he seemed disoriented and wouldn’t look us straight in the eyes when he spoke, even during his short stay,” the priest said, adding that Huckle even wrote to him saying he was very keen to return but never did.
Huckle’s activities began in 2006 when he abused two sisters, aged 4 and 6, in Malaysia.
Investigators found more than 20,000 indecent materials on his computer — pictures and videos he took of himself raping and abusing children as young as 6 months old.
Another pastor in Kuala Lumpur told the MailOnline how he had confronted Huckle at his church, demanding to know why he was constantly bringing young children to Sunday morning services without their parents.
Huckle told the pastor that he got their parents’ permission.
In response, the pastor told Huckle to ensure that at least one parent was present the next time he came.
The pastor did not see Huckle again for several months, when he returned with three children and again, without their parents.
“There was something about him that made me uneasy, but I had no reason to take action against him apart from insisting that he bring a parent along so that I could speak to them.
“The opportunity never arose. I never saw a parent.
“But what I did find out from him was that he had brought the children across the city from many miles away in an area that he was living in.
“They were impoverished youngsters who had put their trust in him but we know now he had abused that trust.”
Huckle faces life in jail after admitting to 71 charges, including rape, sexual assault and sexual activity with children.