Roger Took
Encyclopedia
Roger F. Took is an art historian, museum curator
, author and convicted child sex offender who has lived in London
, Ireland
, and Russia
. In the course of his career, he ran several museums in England
, was a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a former director of the Barbican Art Gallery. He attended Haileybury College, Sandhurst
and the Courtauld Institute. He married in 1983. In 1985, Took founded Artangel
, an institution within the field of contemporary art. In December 2003, Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland, Roger Took's detailed description of life on Russia's Lapland and Kola Peninsula, was published in hardback. This book was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
. Took was most recently acclaimed as an expert on the mediaeval Russian fur trade.
In April 2007, Took was arrested for paedophilia-related crimes, and in February 2008 was jailed for a minimum of four and a half years as part of an indeterminate sentence for 17 crimes relating to child abuse.
organisation that commissions work ranging from sculpture to film from international artists. It was taken over by James Lingwood and Michael Morris in 1991.
Following his departure from Artangel in 1992, Took began his trips to Kola Peninsula
in Russian Lapland
because there was little known about the area. He prepared by taking a crash course in Russian and getting some arms training. He studied maps and the history of the area, people and Soviet occupation. Over the years he became fluent in Russian and began to use a Cyrillic keyboard.
In December 2003, Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland was published in hardback. Written in a travelogue style
, Took begins the book detailing the events of his first trip to Murmansk (often referred to as Russia's Lapland) as the first traveler to the area in 70 years, and later details of the interior of the region. He explains the desolation of post-Soviet north villages and the details of everyday life there of both the indigenous and non-indigenous settlers, expressing a "combination of respect and shock at their dismal lifestyle." Breaking the law, Took ventured into restricted areas, often getting caught, in order to give the reader an understanding of this vanishing native culture, its endangered ecosystem, and the dynamics of its cultures.
The Daily Telegraph
reviewed the book as an "almost encyclopaedic account of northern travels". A 2004 article in the Canadian Journal of History reviewed it as "quite an extraordinary book", but continued on that "the final sections of the work prove to be ... highly disappointing." The book was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
in 2004.
home. The extended family from Cleary's first marriage consisted of a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren. With both of Cleary's daughters in school in other countries, her teenage son was the only child residing with the couple. Cleary was "touched" by the attention paid to her son by Took, who had repeatedly made it clear that he wanted no children of his own.
The couple separated in the late 1980s as a result of infidelity from Took. They later reunited, but split again after Cleary found evidence of another affair. Although she had filed for divorce, the couple again reconciled, in part because Cleary feared her husband may commit suicide if she didn't give their marriage another chance—he had attempted suicide over rejection from a woman in his youth, leaving deep scars on his neck and wrists—and she had always considered him to be a "fragile" man. He spent much of the following years travelling in Russia.
. On their way home, one of his stepdaughters found a $100 bill in her daughter's luggage. The girl said that Took gave it to her so that he could photograph her. After additional questioning by her mother, she explained that she had been sexually abused
by Took "for as long as she could remember". The mother alerted the police and a six week investigation was launched during which Took was unaware that his family knew what had been happening.
Took was arrested at Luton airport in April 2007, following the police investigation during which 742 logs from chat room
s used to boast about a child rape and murder were discovered. Took denied this, saying it was merely a fantasy. Police also recovered 260 images from Took's laptop. 102 of them were graded as "level 5s", which means they contain images of children being penetrated, tortured or both. Police raided Took’s home where they found a locked case which held a large bundle of photographs of young Russian women. The women who were naked and one of whom was having sex with Took, are believed to be prostitutes. The case also held clippings of children’s hair.
Took was given an indeterminate sentence by Judge Henry Blacksell QC
who believed he "posed a danger to all children." He eventually plead guilty to a total of 17 charges, including sexual assault on a child under 13, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making and possessing indecent images of children. Judge Blacksell had reviewed thousands of pages of evidence, was visibly shocked when he told the court, "It is unrestrained filth, depravity of the worst kind." He was sentenced to nine years, but was eligible for parole after four and a half. He was also banned from working with children under the age of 18 for the rest of his life. Took has appealed his sentence.
According to Charlotte Metcalf, Took's charm, social status, academic reputation and credentials served to "cushion him from condemnation". His case received little publicity and he enjoyed support from former colleagues. During sentencing Judge Blacksell who stated that he had no doubt that Took suffers from an illness, took into consideration 23 letters of support and three character witnesses who spoke at the hearing on behalf of five people. He was described as a "gentle, kind, caring man who has enriched the lives of many over many years". Those who spoke were his older half-brother, John Michael Took; the Reverend Adrian Gabb-Jones and Matteos Los a schoolfriend from a Greek shipping family.
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, author and convicted child sex offender who has lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In the course of his career, he ran several museums in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a former director of the Barbican Art Gallery. He attended Haileybury College, Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and the Courtauld Institute. He married in 1983. In 1985, Took founded Artangel
Artangel
Artangel is a London-based arts organisation founded in 1985 by Roger Took. Directed since 1991 by James Lingwood and Michael Morris, it has commissioned and produced a string of notable site-specific works, plus several projects for TV, film, radio and the web...
, an institution within the field of contemporary art. In December 2003, Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland, Roger Took's detailed description of life on Russia's Lapland and Kola Peninsula, was published in hardback. This book was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
The Thomas Cook Travel Book Award originated as an initiative of Thomas Cook AG in 1980, with the aim of encouraging and rewarding the art of literary travel writing. The awards stopped in 2005...
. Took was most recently acclaimed as an expert on the mediaeval Russian fur trade.
In April 2007, Took was arrested for paedophilia-related crimes, and in February 2008 was jailed for a minimum of four and a half years as part of an indeterminate sentence for 17 crimes relating to child abuse.
Artangel
In 1985, Roger Took founded Artangel, a London-based artsARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
organisation that commissions work ranging from sculpture to film from international artists. It was taken over by James Lingwood and Michael Morris in 1991.
Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
in Russian Lapland
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Murmansk.-Geography:...
because there was little known about the area. He prepared by taking a crash course in Russian and getting some arms training. He studied maps and the history of the area, people and Soviet occupation. Over the years he became fluent in Russian and began to use a Cyrillic keyboard.
In December 2003, Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland was published in hardback. Written in a travelogue style
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
, Took begins the book detailing the events of his first trip to Murmansk (often referred to as Russia's Lapland) as the first traveler to the area in 70 years, and later details of the interior of the region. He explains the desolation of post-Soviet north villages and the details of everyday life there of both the indigenous and non-indigenous settlers, expressing a "combination of respect and shock at their dismal lifestyle." Breaking the law, Took ventured into restricted areas, often getting caught, in order to give the reader an understanding of this vanishing native culture, its endangered ecosystem, and the dynamics of its cultures.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reviewed the book as an "almost encyclopaedic account of northern travels". A 2004 article in the Canadian Journal of History reviewed it as "quite an extraordinary book", but continued on that "the final sections of the work prove to be ... highly disappointing." The book was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
Thomas Cook Travel Book Award
The Thomas Cook Travel Book Award originated as an initiative of Thomas Cook AG in 1980, with the aim of encouraging and rewarding the art of literary travel writing. The awards stopped in 2005...
in 2004.
Personal life
Took met a wealthy painter, Pat Cleary, at a family party in 1981. Their families had been associated for decades. Despite her father's concerns that the financially struggling Took was only interested in marrying her for her money, the couple wed on 12 July 1983 and lived in Cleary's affluent Chelsea, LondonChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
home. The extended family from Cleary's first marriage consisted of a son, two daughters and eight grandchildren. With both of Cleary's daughters in school in other countries, her teenage son was the only child residing with the couple. Cleary was "touched" by the attention paid to her son by Took, who had repeatedly made it clear that he wanted no children of his own.
The couple separated in the late 1980s as a result of infidelity from Took. They later reunited, but split again after Cleary found evidence of another affair. Although she had filed for divorce, the couple again reconciled, in part because Cleary feared her husband may commit suicide if she didn't give their marriage another chance—he had attempted suicide over rejection from a woman in his youth, leaving deep scars on his neck and wrists—and she had always considered him to be a "fragile" man. He spent much of the following years travelling in Russia.
Child sexual abuse case
In February 2007, their 25th year of marriage, Roger Took joined his family for a trip to the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. On their way home, one of his stepdaughters found a $100 bill in her daughter's luggage. The girl said that Took gave it to her so that he could photograph her. After additional questioning by her mother, she explained that she had been sexually abused
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
by Took "for as long as she could remember". The mother alerted the police and a six week investigation was launched during which Took was unaware that his family knew what had been happening.
Took was arrested at Luton airport in April 2007, following the police investigation during which 742 logs from chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
s used to boast about a child rape and murder were discovered. Took denied this, saying it was merely a fantasy. Police also recovered 260 images from Took's laptop. 102 of them were graded as "level 5s", which means they contain images of children being penetrated, tortured or both. Police raided Took’s home where they found a locked case which held a large bundle of photographs of young Russian women. The women who were naked and one of whom was having sex with Took, are believed to be prostitutes. The case also held clippings of children’s hair.
Took was given an indeterminate sentence by Judge Henry Blacksell QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
who believed he "posed a danger to all children." He eventually plead guilty to a total of 17 charges, including sexual assault on a child under 13, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making and possessing indecent images of children. Judge Blacksell had reviewed thousands of pages of evidence, was visibly shocked when he told the court, "It is unrestrained filth, depravity of the worst kind." He was sentenced to nine years, but was eligible for parole after four and a half. He was also banned from working with children under the age of 18 for the rest of his life. Took has appealed his sentence.
According to Charlotte Metcalf, Took's charm, social status, academic reputation and credentials served to "cushion him from condemnation". His case received little publicity and he enjoyed support from former colleagues. During sentencing Judge Blacksell who stated that he had no doubt that Took suffers from an illness, took into consideration 23 letters of support and three character witnesses who spoke at the hearing on behalf of five people. He was described as a "gentle, kind, caring man who has enriched the lives of many over many years". Those who spoke were his older half-brother, John Michael Took; the Reverend Adrian Gabb-Jones and Matteos Los a schoolfriend from a Greek shipping family.
External links
- Adams, Stephen (June 2009). "An art historian and author failed to win his court battle for a £500,000 divorce settlement from his multi-millionaire former wife because he sexually abused her grandchildren". The TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. Retrieved on 8 August 2011. (Archived by WebCiteWebCiteWebCite is a service that archives web pages on demand. Authors can subsequently cite the archived web pages through WebCite, in addition to citing the original URL of the web page. Readers are able to retrieve the archived web pages indefinitely, without regard to whether the original web page is...
at http://www.webcitation.org/60ncZoCwj)
- Woman's Hour (July 10, 2008). "The damage that living with a paedophile inflicts on a family". BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. Retrieved on August 10, 2008. (Archived by WebCiteWebCiteWebCite is a service that archives web pages on demand. Authors can subsequently cite the archived web pages through WebCite, in addition to citing the original URL of the web page. Readers are able to retrieve the archived web pages indefinitely, without regard to whether the original web page is...
at http://www.webcitation.org/60nd362m0)
- Murray, Jenni (July 13, 2008). "Nothing beats a good sex scandal". Guardian.co.ukGuardian.co.ukguardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
. Retrieved on August 10, 2008. (Archived by WebCiteWebCiteWebCite is a service that archives web pages on demand. Authors can subsequently cite the archived web pages through WebCite, in addition to citing the original URL of the web page. Readers are able to retrieve the archived web pages indefinitely, without regard to whether the original web page is...
at http://www.webcitation.org/60ncztCP7)