Thom Campion, a former Liberal Democrat councillor for Newcastle, has been found guilty of sexual assault after reportedly luring a woman into his bedroom using a ‘teddy’
A former Liberal Democrat councillor has been convicted of sexual assault after luring a woman her met online to his bedroom after luring her upstairs to look at a “cute teddy”
Thom Campion, 28,met the victim having spotted her on a popular adult website that allows users to contact creators directly back in March 2023, Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he pinned her down on the bed and touched her breast without her consent. He then dragged her to the floor by her hair and forced his fingers in her mouth while calling her “derogatory” sexual names, according to The Chronicle.
The court was shown a video interview in which the victim explained what had happened to police. She said: “Thom said he wanted me to go upstairs to look at a a teddy. I went into the bedroom and he basically threw me onto the bed and got on top of me. He’s a lot stronger than me.
“He started kissing me and he put his hand down my top and touched my breasts. I was trying to say ‘I don’t want to do this’. He dragged me from the bed by my hair.
“He started putting his fingers in my throat to try and get me to gag. He kept saying; ‘It’ll be hot’. He said I was going to do as I was told. He knew it wasn’t consensual. The reason I reported it is I saw him at Jesmond Market and realised he was in a position of power.”
Campion, who denied sexual assault, claimed during his trial that the woman had consented to all sexual activity between them and that she had willingly gone upstairs to look at an item of “sexually explicit clothing” he had ordered online.
But District Judge Paul Currer rejected his version of events and found Campion guilty of sexual assault. He said: “She repeatedly told the defendant ‘no’ when with him in the bedroom. Having listened with care to all the evidence, I’m sure the defendant engaged in these sexual acts without her consent.”
Addressing Campion directly, Currer added: “You are a man of previous good character, I’m not in a position to sentence you now. I need to know a lot more about you. I need to get probation to write a report about you.”
He released Campion on bail until the date of his sentencing hearing. Elected to Newcastle City Council in 2021 as a Liberal Democrat representative, Campion later served as an independent councillor before choosing not to seek re-election this year.
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