The former music director of the Brighton Festival Chorus has been jailed for 24 years for child sex abuse.
Jonathan Smith, also known as Jonathan Grieves-Smith, was jailed today (Tuesday 19 May) by Judge Paul Tain at Hove Crown Court.
Smith, 57, who studied music at Sussex University, in the early 1980s, raped a girl twice and was found guilty of 16 offences against her in total.
He was convicted by a jury in February of carrying out the abuse in Lewes in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.
The offences took place during his 15-year stint with the Festival Chorus where he was the music director from 1983.
Smith, a conductor and music director, will also be a registered sex offender for life.
He was living in Australia until July last year when he returned to Britain after a warrant for his extradition was issued at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
Sussex Police said that, when he came back to Britain, he lived in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, on bail conditions set by the court. His address in Tewkesbury was in Gadwell Road, Walton Cardiff.
Detective Constable Lisa Wells, from the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “Smith came to know his victim, then aged just five, in the late 1980s and this horrific abuse continued systematically, unbeknown to anyone else, for more than five years until he moved away from the area.
“She has suffered with the trauma and distress of what happened to her, in secret, and it was not for more than a further 20 years that she felt strong enough to get in touch and share her experiences with us.
“We admire her courage and resolution in supporting our investigation and the prosecution process.
“It took four years to ensure Smith’s return from Australia to face justice and she then gave evidence which helped ensure his conviction at court.”
The victim said: “Jonathan Grieves-Smith’s behaviour towards me has fundamentally affected my life and has also severely affected my family and friendships.
“The impact of what he did to me for so many years has caused me long-term trauma in most aspects of my life and for so long cast a terrible shadow over my reality, causing a ripple effect out to those who could see me struggling, haunted by something unseen, causing upset and pain all around. Keeping silent kept me in a cage of self-destruction.
“After many years into my adulthood, I was able to confide in my family who, every step of the way, have been loving and fully supportive. I was believed and heard, and I am so thankful to have my family know the truth.
“We reached the decision to speak to Sussex Police. Throughout a long investigation, the East Sussex Safeguarding Team, in particular Detective Constable Lisa Wells and Detective Constable Laura Powell, worked tenaciously on this case, going through evidence with fine toothcombs, working with the CPS, as well as with PC Lisa Hampson, updating, explaining and supporting me.
“To know they were working so hard on my behalf gave me strength to keep fighting. I felt I was believed and that it was not my fault. It was a crime.
“Incredible support was offered at Eastbourne Survivors, a charity who help adults sexually abused as children, along with friends I learnt to trust.
“While the investigation and evidence were building up to the trial, I started to build my life which I could not have done without all the people and support I received, knowing that reporting it was the right thing.
“I just wanted to protect any other young children from their lives being taken too young.
“The life I had to survive while I grew up in silence was not happy. I did not feel like other children. I felt dirty and had to keep secrets.
“It hurts me the most that the whole family were also treated awfully with huge levels of manipulation.
“To know that Grieves-Smith has now finally faced the court – and justice has been served – feels right.
“I am thankful we have the systems in place within our society and I felt I was not just speaking out for myself but for those unable to voice their own abuse.
“I hope Grieves-Smith will never have the chance to hurt or ruin the lives of other trusting children and their families through his manipulative and evil ways.
“The quality of my life deteriorated more and more as the years passed but since talking about what has happened and going through the court process I am finally starting to find some sorrow and compassion for my situation and that I had to go through all these things to get to where I am today.
“The investigation ending up in a trial has made me stronger.”
Detective Constable Lisa Wells added: “We hope that increasingly people who have such dreadful experiences will not suffer in silence.
“If you are a victim of sexual abuse, or known of someone else who is, no matter how recent or long ago, you can contact us at any time in confidence as this victim did, and arrange to talk in confidence to experienced investigators.
“We have specialist officers who can also help you access to a range of independent advice and support.”
