Turkish police have arrested a Plymouth businessman

Turkish police have arrested a Plymouth businessman who was on the run after sexually abusing teenage boys. The hunt for Alfred John Palmer, now 52, began when he fled the UK sometime after May 2006 following the halting of a trial where he faced five counts of indecent assault. His long-term partner, Daniel Tapper, now 53, had also stood in the dock charged with indecent assault, and fled with him.

He is still on the run. At the time, their defence teams had requested the return of the pair’s passports to allow them to go on holiday following the stress of the halted trial. The request was approved and the passports released. A second trial had to be set for October 2007 and was conducted in their absence while they were on the run. The jury, after hearing evidence from Palmer and Tapper’s young victims, found both guilty of the charges.

Palmer, formerly of Alcester Street, Stoke, had been owner of landlord and letting agency Palmer and Co, which had an office off Mutley Plain at the time of the offences. It is understood that Tapper, another director of the agency, had left enough instructions with his solicitors before jumping bail, which allowed them to instruct a barrister. He was found guilty by a majority verdict.

Investigators tasked with catching the fugitives learned they had taken £300,000 with them after selling two houses and their cars. Police also found papers and magazines left by them which suggested they were thinking of buying a bar or restaurant in Turkey, in an area popular with British tourists and ex-pats. Det Con Sarah Lovatt, who led the investigation into both the abuse and the whereabouts of the fugitives, admitted it was “pure joy” to hear of Palmer’s arrest.

She said: “I think the victims will be immensely relieved to hear Palmer has been caught. The things he [Palmer] did to those boys was awful. He was in a position of power and used it to intimidate them. “They took advantage of two vulnerable young boys just out of Social Services care who had no idea how to get a flat.

All of the victims have been receiving intensive therapy, but these incidents have had a massive effect on them and will continue to effect them for years to come.” Appeals via both The Herald and BBC’s Crimewatch earlier this year eventually resulted in calls from British tourists who had got to know both Palmer and Tapper at a popular Turkish resort.

Det Con Lovatt said: “It was clear they were living in Turkey and had ingratiated themselves within the ex-pat community. They were well known, but within a couple of days of the Crimewatch programme they had gone to ground again.” Det Con Lovatt went through the lengthy process of drawing up European arrest warrants, translating them into Turkish and lodging them with a Turkish court in the hope that officers could then arrest them.

She was assisted by specialist investigators from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. She said: “Tapper and Palmer have been together for 30 years, so wherever Palmer was arrested, Tapper will be close by. I still think there are more victims out there and hopefully this brings them some satisfaction.” Palmer will now face a Turkish court where he can either accept or oppose extradition to the UK.

If he accepts then officers from Devon and Cornwall will fly to Turkey to accompany him home where he will serve his sentence and possibly face charges of failing to appear at court. this is plmoth reported online today.