Exclusive:Double-murderer took explicit photographs of underage boy - then told police they were 'art'

A Royal Navy officer who admitted to two murders also took photographs of an underage boy - but denied raping him.

Former petty officer Allan Grimson was jailed for life in 2001 for the murders of Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins in the late 1990s. He is serving a life sentence for these crimes.

The 66-year-old is now on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the rape of a teenager and indecent assault charges against three other male complainants, including a 14-year-old boy, dating between February 1994 and November 1999. Grimson denies the charges.

In court this morning (Thursday, July 16), the jury was read a transcript from one of Grimson’s police interviews, after his arrest in December 1999. In that interview, Grimson told officers that he slept in the same bed as an underage boy, and took explicit photographs of him.

Police pressed Grimson on reports that he raped the teenager, and put a pillow over his head to stop him from making noise.

He said: “We would both wear boxer shorts or sports shorts - he did sleep in my bed. If he was shouting and screaming, I would assume they [housemates] would have heard that.

“I hadn’t done that [put a pillow over his head]. I’ve said before hat I’ve taken photographs of him naked, and placed him in certain positions to take them. But I’ve never touched him in a sexual manner.

“I can’t recall specific dates. I guess at some stage I did find him [attractive]. I started to feel disgusted at myself for what I had done, it should not have happened.”

Grimson admitted to officers that he did not know if the boy was aware that the photographs were being taken, and added that he kept the images at both his mother’s house, and his flat in London Road, North End.

“I don’t think I found him sexually attractive,” Grimson said. “I was attracted to him in some way, but I don’t know what that was. I just wanted to see photographs that I had taken of him.

“I recall being in bed with him. I didn’t touch him, or any of the boys, in a sexual way.”

Officers then reminded Grimson that in a previous interview, he told them he had touched a boy, and asked him to explain it. He then described the photographs he had taken as being “art”.

He said: “I don’t know why I said that. I don’t have any explanation for it.

“All I can imagine is the state of my mind, having confessed to [murdering] Nicholas Wright and Sion Jenkins. There’s obviously some confusion in my mind as to what happened. I’m standing by the fact that I haven’tt assaulted any boys.

“I would call it [the photographs] art - let’s call it art.”

(Proceeding)