LIVERPOOL, England, June 27 (UPI) -- A 28-year-old British man convicted of killing a toddler 18 years ago was refused parole Monday for a subsequent child pornography conviction.
Jon Venables was 10 years old when he and his friend, Robert Thompson, also 10, were convicted in 1993 of the torture and murder of 2-year-old James Patrick Bulger. They served eight years before being released in 2001 on lifelong probation, given new identities and moved to separate secret locations under witness protection-style conditions.
In June 2010, Venables, 27, was sentenced to two years in prison for downloading child pornography and halfway through his stay his petition for parole was rejected, The Sun reported.
"Venables is a very dangerous individual and it's a huge relief to hear that he will not be getting out any time soon," Bulger's mother, Denise Fergus, said.
"He' a very cunning individual and God knows how many other crimes he might commit, and how many other people might suffer, if they did let him out," she said.
