A former East Yorkshire pub landlord has been jailed after he targeted and sexually assaulted three young women after he repeatedly pestered them and tried to "shower" them with cash or lavish gifts or holidays.
The victims of sex-obsessed Gerald Ellis felt powerless to speak out, but they finally did so when he was prosecuted for having indecent videos and images of children, Hull Crown Court heard.
Ellis, 64, of Primrose Drive, Filey, admitted three offences of sexual assault against one woman and two offences of assault by penetration against her between December 2013 and May 2016.
He also admitted sexually assaulting a second woman between January 2016 and December 2017 and two offences of sexually assaulting a third woman between November 2016 and March 2020.
Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that the offences against the three young women came to light after Ellis was sentenced at Hull Crown Court in September 2020 for three offences involving downloading indecent images of children.
The case was reported in the press. "On learning of that conviction, the three complainants came forward," said Miss Holmes.
Ellis' behaviour towards the first of the women included repeatedly touching her intimately.
He trapped her against a wall and she was unable to move. He kissed her but she managed to push past him and told him to get off her. Other people saw Ellis intimately touching her.
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She later described the incidents as "horrible" and she said that she came forward to report them because she did not want Ellis to do the same thing to anyone else.
The offence against the second woman happened when Ellis lunged at her and tried to kiss her. "She pulled back," said Miss Holmes. The woman later said that she had been very affected by the press report of Ellis looking at indecent images of children and this "broke her heart".
The incidents involving the third woman included hitting her on the bottom over her clothes when he passed her. He offered her £1,000 to sleep with him but she refused. The woman found the sexual assault behaviour of Ellis "weird and uncomfortable". During police interview, Ellis denied the offences.
Ellis admitted separate offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and breaching his notification requirements as a convicted sex offender following the indecent images conviction.
These involved allowing a girl to stay at his home when he should not have done and having an iPad that was not registered with the police.
Simon Reevell, mitigating, said that Ellis had pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial. "For everyone, this is a sorry and unfortunate business," said Mr Reevell. "This is the end of a sorry period."
Judge Alexander Menary said that Ellis "targeted" the three women and "showered them" with gifts and money, including "expensive items" such as a mobile phone, a horse and holidays abroad.
"These offences are so serious that only immediate custody can be justified," said Judge Menary. "There have been no further contact offences since these offences were committed."
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Ellis, who was already in custody on remand, was jailed for three years and two months and he was given a sexual harm prevention order for 12 years. He was given a 15-year restraining order and must register as a sex offender for life.
During the previous court case in September 2020, the court heard that Ellis, known as Gerry, watched videos of children being abused, including a girl of four or five being raped. Another showed a boy and girl, aged between eight and 10, being forced to perform sexual acts.
Police seized his laptop in March 2019 and videos and images were found.
Ellis, at the time, had been drinking excessively, including up to 15 pints a day, the court heard that day. His wife left him and he turned to pornography.
Ellis was given a two-year community order at the time, with rehabilitation days, and he had to register as a sex offender for five years.
