Other cases cited by The Sun include a swimming coach jailed in 2006 for sexually abusing children as young as five. It notes that four victims came forward after reading of arrests in their local papers.

This is appealing to the current paedo-panic where ‘trawling’, as it is known, can have a dramatic effect on a subsequent charge – using the ‘similar allegations’ method of corroborating evidence. Advertising the name of an arrestee, particularly if well known or in a previously pivotal position in a child’s life, can bring forward other ‘children’, even when now middle aged, to give evidence. Or, as Peter Watt of the NSPCC told The Sun: ‘When a suspect in a child abuse case is named it gives more victims the confidence to speak out and helps ensure that justice is done.’

Now it is well known that most sexual abuse against children is carried out by a member of the family. Not a great deal of interest in publishing the names of family members, the chances of children from outside the family coming forward to corroborate evidence are slim – where the victim and perpetrator are say brother and sister or Father and daughter. Where the perpetrator is ‘outside the family’ and a local man, confining his activities to his own area, only publishing his name in a local paper will bring the required results.

That leaves the national papers with only the chance to name those in a pivotal position in a child’s life if they are to join the current paedo-hunt. Who exactly is pivotal to a child’s life? Who is a named person likely to be remembered years later and generate the required interest to bring forward other ‘victims’. The most obvious person is a teacher – they have more contact with children than any other group of people. (Note: I am not claiming that teacher’s are more likely to be paedophiles, I am merely pointing out that as ‘memorable figures’ in a child’s life, they have to be in pole position).

So any hope of bringing charges against a teacher for sexual offences must rest fair and square on the original evidence of victims who came forward without any helpful prodding from the media. That stopped the trawling industry in its tracks – the group who had the most access to children – and were also the most likely to have false charges flying around as a direct result of trawling amongst disgruntled former pupils had been specifically put out of bounds for what was becoming a growth industry.

I don’t remember any outrage from the media at the times regarding this block on ‘free speech’ although in fairness, the Society of Editors did lobby hard against the proposals.

So where should the diligent ‘trawler’ look next? Who else might be memorable from a child’s life, outside the family, excluding teacher? The pool gets ever shallower…Did they ever meet a celebrity? Pop star? Television personality?

Ah so! Grasshopper! I think the mist is clearing.