Philip Schofield 'no longer' has a brother after brother's guilty conviction
Timothy Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years
Last updated 3rd Apr 2023
Warning: This article contains information which you may find distressing.
TV presenter Phillip Schofield says as far as he's concerned, he 'no longer' has a brother.
His brother - Timothy Schofield - has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years.
Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, following a trial at Exeter Crown Court.
The jury found him guilty on all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
Timothy Schofield is a member of civilian police staff based at Avon and Somerset Police’s Headquarters in Portishead.
Back in December 2021, he was suspended from duty because of the criminal proceedings - and now the force will hold a misconduct hearing 'as soon as possible'.
Avon and Somerset Police say they were first told about the offences through a 'third party' on December 3, 2021, and an investigation was launched on the very same day.
He was also arrested that day too, and with 2 days of the reported allegations, Timothy Schofield was charged with criminal offences.
He will be sentenced on May 19th at Bristol Crown Court.
"I no longer have a brother"
While giving evidence at Exeter Crown Court, the 54-year-old told the jury he had watched pornography with the boy, who alleged the offending started when he was just 13.
He claimed the boy had told him he was over 16 at the time - despite the boy in court alleging the offending started when he was 13.
Jurors had previously heard how Timothy Schofield told his older brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the teenager had watched pornography together.
In a statement released by his lawyer after the guilty verdict, Phillip Schofield said: "My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.
"If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.
"These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother."
The boy told the jury he felt "emotionally blackmailed" by Schofield and "forced" to participate in sexual activity.
Giving evidence during the trial, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his "entire life" but had kept it "completely secret and hidden from everybody".
He described this as "incredibly difficult" and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years.
He insisted the teenager was "old enough" to choose to watch pornography with him.
He told the jury: "It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all."
Schofield denied the charges but was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.
Judge Mrs Justice Cutts remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on May 19.
Avon and Somerset Police response
From Avon and Somerset Police, Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Keith Smith said: “This defendant has exploited and abused the victim by carrying out a sickening series of offences over a significant period of time.
“The impact on the victim has been immense and they’ve shown incredible bravery in disclosing the crimes committed against them, and by supporting the subsequent police investigation throughout.
“We hope this outcome will provide some comfort and enable them to recover from the abuse they’ve had inflicted on them.
“Although the defendant does not work in a public-facing role, and the offences are not linked to his employment, we know the fact he works for the police will be a matter of public concern.
“Until these criminal allegations were reported in December 2021, there were no previous allegations or complaints made to the police against this defendant.
“Once reported, officers carried out a thorough investigation, building a file of evidence and speaking to a number of witnesses, resulting in the defendant being charged and subsequently convicted of serious offences.
“While the majority of police officers, staff and volunteers dedicate themselves to public service and keeping our communities safe, we know the public’s trust and confidence in policing nationally has been damaged by recent incidents.
“To repair the damage these incidents have undoubtedly caused, we must take continue to take decisive action and be clear what standards we expect from our people. Where these standards are not met, we will take robust action to ensure those who let us all down cannot remain in policing.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impact on a person's life and Timothy Schofield's actions were deeply harmful. We hope that the young man he targeted is receiving all the support he needs to move forward with his life."
The NSPCC have urged adults who are concerned about a child to contact help@nspcc.org.uk and young people to call Childline on 0800 1111.