Paramedic Stuart Gray filmed teen abuse and claimed he was an angel

St Albans Crown Court heard Stuart Gray of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire told his victim they were both angels

A paramedic who filmed himself sexually abusing an underage girl claimed he was an angel and she was "under his magical protection".

During the abuse, Stuart Gray, 60, of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, told his victim she was an angel too.

He admitted charges of sexual activity when she was between 13 and 15 but was convicted of her rape when she was over 16.

He told St Albans Crown Court he denied rape because she "consented".

Gray, a paramedic of 20 years who worked for the London Ambulance Service, admitted kissing the girl and performing sexual acts when she was under 16. He also admitted taking sexual pictures and videos of her and secretly recording in the bathroom.

The jury heard he had covertly filmed up females' skirts and was found with downloaded indecent images of children on his computer.

"She was 13," he told the jury, "I was 50. I am thoroughly disgusted and ashamed of myself and I need to be punished for what I have done."

But he denied raping her and said: "She consented. I would not have gone forward if I had thought otherwise."

'Alter ego'

Sean Minihan, for Gray, asked if he had told people he believed he was an angel.

"All my life I have believed there are angels on earth in human form," the defendant replied. "I firmly believe I had an alter ego called Michael that helped me through life."

Simon Gledhill, prosecuting, said when the girl was 14, Gray sent her a text message that read: "I am saving your life not abusing you - you get that don't you?"

He added the defendant was "weaving the importance of your sexual encounters to the importance of being an angel" and "created for her a world of fear of consequence" if she did not submit to his teaching, both of which Gray denied.

The court heard Gray told his victim that she, one of her relatives and two of his relatives, were angels.

Mr Gledhill said that by talking of angels, he was aiming to keep her interested in him personally and sexually as he was a much older man.

The victim, who is now in her 20s, said: "He believed the end of the world was near... he talked about the four angels of the apocalypse.

"I believed he genuinely believed what he was telling me."

A friend told the court: "He (Gray) said he was the Archangel Michael and said she (the complainant) was an angel taken under his wing. She was under his magical protection."

De-registered

The London Ambulance Service said all the relevant employment checks had been in place for Gray.

Dr John Martin, the service's chief paramedic, said: "Our thoughts remain with the courageous individual who has helped to bring him to justice.

"Gray was suspended from London Ambulance Service as soon as this criminality was brought to light and is no longer an employee.

"He has also been de-registered from the professional register of paramedics."

Gray was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 1 September.