Ex-Bursledon councillor admits child sex offences
A former parish council chairman has admitted raping a 16-year-old girl and several sexual offences against boys.
Mark McCormick, 49, pleaded guilty to 14 charges on the first day of his trial at Southampton Crown Court. The former Bursledon councillor committed the offences between 1997 and 2011, the court heard. Refusing bail, Judge Nicholas Rowland said the "extremely serious" offences meant "a long sentence" would be imposed at a hearing on 12 October. McCormick, of Griffon Close, Bursledon, pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent assaults on boys and four counts of inciting boys to commit acts of gross indecency. His youngest victim was a boy aged under 14, the court heard. The other three offences were the rape of a girl, a sexual assault on a man and taking an indecent photo of a boy. In total, the offences involved seven victims including five boys. McCormick entered no pleas to a number of other charges, involving another two alleged victims, which the court ordered to lie on file. Related Internet Links HM Courts Service