Max Clifford is one of the most successful celebrity PRs in British media history. But yesterday the bubble burst as he was found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault. This is the first conviction of the high profile investigation Operation Yewtree, which was set up by police to catch sexual offenders after the infamous Jimmy Savile scandal.
Prosecutor, Rosina Cottage QC, told the court that 71-year-old Clifford worked to uphold other people’s reputations while hiding his own “terrible festering secret”. During the trial he was accused of using his position to take advantage of girls and young women, who were often aspiring models and actresses, over a period of 20 years.
The PR guru was found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault and cleared of two on women as young as 15. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on one charge. He has been released on bail until sentencing on Friday, however, Judge Anthony Leonard QC warned that he should not take this as an indication of a lenient sentence. “You must realise that the fact I have given you bail is no indication of what the final sentence will be,” said the judge.
Clifford exited the court looking visibly shaken with his family by his side (he is picture above with his daughter, who has been supportive throughout the trial). Though he posed for pictures he declined to comment, telling reporters: “I have been told by my lawyers not to say anything at all.”
The conviction comes after the Jimmy Savile scandal in November 2012, where many victims of sexual abuse broke their silence and revealed details of their ordeal. This led police to set up Operation Yewtree, in order to investigate other suspected sexual offenders.
Clifford was arrested on December 6, 2012 during a raid on his Surrey home, where police made a shocking discovery. On his bedside table, he kept an anonymous letter from a girl who accused him of sexually assaulting her 35 years ago. The letter went into detail about the abuse she suffered saying: “I had no one to turn to. You were very clever. A+ in grooming children. How proud you must be.”
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