'Not the man I thought I knew'

Christine says her ex-husband was well-liked and trusted

She spent 23 years married to Anthony Barron, found guilty of more than 80 sexual offences against children including rape and attempted rape, but his ex-wife Christine never had any idea of his crimes.

It's just been a dreadful ordeal for all of us.

Fortunately he hasn't, as far as I know, touched my children and if he had I would slit his throat.

I wouldn't even bat an eyelid, quite happily. That's the way I feel. He just disgusts me.

I just find it all dreadful. How could I marry somebody like that?

Everybody thought they could trust him - he could be so charming

I've had to move house. I have been accosted in the street when I was out one night by one of the parents involved.

I suppose she thought that I should know about this and it's come as a total shock to me.

My daughter has also had to move house. I think the children are just so thoroughly ashamed.

Shock

My daughter, I don't know, maybe she's in denial. She's philosophical about it, I suppose.

My eldest lad doesn't want to know his father at all and my youngest son has a very adult view.

Anthony Barron filmed his rape of a 12-year-old girl

If his father has done this, his father is sick and he has got to forgive him. I'm proud of him for handling it so well, but I'm worried about the effect on his schooling.

It's going to go on affecting their lives because it's something you don't get over. You learn to live with it.

I'm finding it terribly difficult to equate it with the man I knew. He loved children and children loved him. He wasn't that kind of man as far as I knew. My family are shocked, I'm shocked.

Everybody thought they could trust him. He could be so charming, but obviously there was more to it than that.

When I came home from university, there were always little girls playing with my youngest son. It was every night. I once said to [Barron], 'Aren't there any little boys in his class?'

He said to me, 'Little boys are boisterous and they jump all over the furniture.' I just sort of accepted it, it was plausible wasn't it?

Betrayal

People knew him and trusted him.

He was on the PTA. One of my friends, in the summer holidays, he would look after her little girl.

I suppose [I feel] guilty to a degree. I should have seen some signs

Even as my son got older he was looking after other people's children because I suppose they thought he was a reasonable person.

He would give to charities. He always gave to Children in Need every year.

I don't even want to give him the time of day. Yet this man is the father of my children. It's something that will be with them for the rest of their lives.

He has betrayed all of us. He has let my children down. Their father should be someone they can be proud of, not ashamed of. It's not their fault and yet they are victims.

I suppose [I feel] guilty to a degree. I should have seen some signs. It's like two different people.