In November 2020, a source speaking toThe Sunconfirmed that Jon had asked the parole board not to approve his release. At first glance, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables seemed like two ordinary 10-year-olds. Venables and Thompson were found guilty of Bulger's abduction and murder on November 24, 1993 - makingthem the youngest people to be jailed for murder in 250 years. An official Parole Board summary explained why Venables, who was said to use "sex and pornography as a means of coping", was not deemed safe to be released from jail. Interestingly, his partner knows his real identity. Venables has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls" as well as over 1,000 vile child abuse images. She phoned the police and expressed regret for not doing something. Many of them would later express regret for not doing anything. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. The twisted child killer, now aged 39, took the youngster from a shopping centre along with friend Robert Thompson, before the baby's dead body by a railway track. With Bulgers mother, Denise, momentarily distracted, they got the toddler to come with them. But in 1993, these two British boys became cold-blooded killers and murdered a toddler. Closed-circuit camera footage revealed that a child fitting Bulger's description was led away from the shopping center by two young boys. Denise Fergus and her then-husband Ralph Bulger were worried sick. James was taken from the Strand shopping center, . The full story of how James Bulger killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led their two-year-old victim past dozens of witnesses on a grim path to his chilling death. They were a match made in hell. A source told the paper that Venables told the panel and his probation officer he doesn't even want to be freed. He was denied parole in 2000 and ordered to stay behind bars for at least an additional two years. Then, dive into the maddening mystery behind the Atlanta Child Murders. Robert Thompson had a tough childhood and there were allegations of . Following his eight-year sentence for the horrific crime, Robert Thompson was freed and given a new identity. "Features leading up to his offending as an adult included a sense of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfilment in life, a need for excitement, and a tendency to turn to sex or pornography as a means of coping. Nevertheless, additional passersby could still see the partially-covered forehead injury, and one person even saw a tear on Bulgers cheek. One of the investigators who talked to Thompson described him as street smart and clever.I dont know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard,the investigator said on Channel 5sLost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger. One person even saw Thompson kick Bulger in the ribs for resisting. But unfortunately, their story didnt end in 1993. The next day, police searched the canal where the boys had been earlier in the afternoon because an eyewitness had reported seeing Bulger there. Feb 11 2021 On February 12th, 1993, two ten year old's, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, kidnapped, tortured, and killed two-year-old James Patrick Bulger in Liverpool England. James Bulger's father calls for Jon Venables's anonymity to be lifted, A police handout photo of Robert Thompson from 1993, James Bulger, two, was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, Ralph Bulger is the father of murdered James, Venables (pictured as a child) was sent to prison over possession of child abuse imagery, A video still of James Bulger being led away in 1993, John Venables, pictured after his arrest in February 1993. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. But when Venables was recalled to jail in 2010, it emerged Thompson had done well at Barton Moss secure unit, in Eccles, Lancs, showing a growing interest and talent in art. In 2010, he was arrested for possessing images of child sexual abuse accumulated in over a year. While there, he reportedly told his fellow inmates that he was a car thief. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. Thompson has been free since his release in 2001. Youve got enormous burdens to carry around.. Not long after the bar fight, he was found to be in possession of cocaine. Thompson and Venables led Bulger away from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, after his mother had taken her . The same path would not apply to his partner in crime, however. On February 12, 1993, he was tragically murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. ONE of James Bulger's killers says he has had a better life as a result of murdering the toddler. Nine months later, the trial began. He excelled in his academics and began to develop an interest in textiles. His mother treated her depression with heavy drinking and once tried to commit suicide. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. BWP Media/Getty Images Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, pictured after their arrest for the murder of James Bulger. From 1993 to 2001, Venables served time in the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside. The case was rejected by Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane, who argued the convict could be killed if his new identity was revealed. Nearly twenty years later, Ralph became a father again. Though they were unsuccessful, Thompson and Venables didnt give up. The youngster had no record of violence before he was found guilty of killing two-year-old James Bulger. James Bulger Story. The report, which explained why he was denied parole, stated Venables has landed a job in jail while living a top secret life with a new identity among other cons. "Risk factors identified in subsequent reviews include thinking about sex a lot, problems in maintaining relationships, concerns about self-awareness, and his ability to deal with stress. Given that key areas of risk remained subject to continuing interventions, the panel considered that Mr Venables was appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be addressed. This is a case that rocked Britain and shocked the entire world. Children are seen by society as innocent and pure, without malice. Here is what we know about the child killer and who was released from a young offenders' institution under licence in 2001. Speaking at the time, he said: "(Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. After intensive rehabilitation, the pair were handed new identities. The parole experts cited there would need to be several very strict limitations on Venables and his contacts, movements and activities would need to be limited. New Zealands Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, stated that the UK shouldnt bother applying for Jons residency in her country. In January 2018, James Bulger's mum Denise Fergus backed calls for a public inquiry into the toddler's murder. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Popular disgust only intensified when witnesses and the media noted Thompsons cold, seemingly remorseless behavior at trial (compared with Venables hysterical outbursts). But no one did anything. Instead of jail time, he was ordered to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". RM2D3M2P8 - The grave of murdered toddler James Bulger in Kirkdale cemetery, Liverpool, June 22, 2001. She was concerned, but another woman standing nearby said shed heard James laughing moments ago and so both assumed nothing was wrong. Since being freed, Venables alone is thought to have cost the public around 5million. Witnesses would later testify in court that they saw a crying Bulger being dragged along the two-and-a-half-mile route between the Strand and the railroad tracks where he would be eventually found. However, Venables was recalled to prison in November 2017 when he was caught with the sickening child abuse images once again. She quickly found mall security personnel and described her son and what he was wearing. Updated: 15:25 ET, Sep 29 2021 ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. The reports said that Robert is openly gay and is in a long-term relationship with a partner who knows his real identity. In his confession, Jon stated that it was Roberts idea that they kill Bulger. Though not much is known about his current whereabouts, he is reportedly in a stable relationship with a man who is fully aware of his past. The killer walked free in June 2001 with unprecedented lifelong anonymity after a parole board ruled he was no longer a threat to public safety. A woman passing by noticed Bulger but did nothing. In 2010, reports stated that Robert had reintegrated into society and had built a healthy relationship with a community in the North West. In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. He added: "As Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss held, (Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. Though authorities initially thought Bulger had been abducted by an adult, CCTV footage revealed the shocking truth that he had been taken by two kids. in 2010, He was jailed again for downloading a collection of child porn on his PC and got out in 2013. in 2017, He downloaded more child porn and was jailed again and got out of jail in 2020. "The risk factors identified at the time of his offending included his sexual interests and an attraction to sexual violence as well as other issues considered relevant but amenable to change. But during separate police interviews, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson turned on each other. It is believed Thompson remains in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. A Match Made In Hell: How Robert Thompson And Jon Venables Became Killers At Age 10. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Venables was first imprisoned for possessing images of child abuse in 2010, but he was released in 2013. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. Authorities considered Thompson to be the ringleader in the murder that he and Venables committed. Thus it was widely assumed that Thompson was the instigator even though psychiatrists and authorities have never been able to reach a conclusion on the boys motives. They then led him to an area called Walton in Liverpool, where they tortured him, beat him to death, and abandoned his body on a railway track in an effort to make his murder look like an accident. New Zealand's immigration department had not received any applications from Venables, she told media. Ten-year-old Jon Venables poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. Mr Bulger said: Ive always believed Venables will kill another child again if he is allowed back into the community. Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. But most did nothing and those that stopped and questioned the James Bulger killers soon enough let them go on their way to ultimately murder the toddler. Police were focused on other children who already had violent records, and they remained convinced that the two boys from the fuzzy CCTV footage looked 13 or 14, not 10. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. Robert Thompson, now 36, said he is a "better person" thanks to his years in prison but. June 24, 2011. By now, however, his forehead was bruised and cut, causing Venables and Thompson to pull the hood of the toddlers anorak over his head to try and hide the injury. Just a couple of days later, Bulger was found on the same railway track where his killers had left him. Such was the shocking story of two 10-year-old's, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson from England, who killed and mutilated the body of 2-year-old James Bulger.. On that fateful day, the troubled boys were skipping school and wandering around a busy mall, stealing sweets . In 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables abducted, tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. A freak of nature. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Some witnesses later reported that the older boys roughed up Bulger in plain sight, kicking, punching, and shaking him. Bulger Killer JON Venables is one half of a pair of notorious child killers who abducted and then murdered two-year-old James Bulger back in 1993. But sometimes the unthinkable happens - children kill. Outside the courthouse, people called for the blood of the James Bulger killers. James Bulger being kidnapped by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as seen on CCTV footage. A freak of nature. With evening approaching, an elderly woman saw Bulger crying, noticed his injuries, and approached the trio to enquire what was wrong. "To let him out could be another death sentence for an innocent child like James. Having a partner thats comfortable with his identity must have helped a lot. The boys ended up at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle (near Liverpool) on the afternoon of February 12 after having skipped school that day. I shouldnt have let go of his hand, Fergus later said. Venables was caged once again in 2010 after being found with a hoard of horrifying child abuse images on his laptop. A source said: Hes been relocated all over the country a large number of times costing a fortune. The twisted child killer,. Malcolm Croft PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images. He was visited regularly by his parents and was kept at Red Bank for the full eight years because of good progress, despite the facility only being a short-stay remand unit. Ralph and James's uncle Jimmy had launched a bid to have Venables' anonymity removed, arguing certain details about him were "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. But the President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the bid, saying it was in place to protect Venables from being "put to death". Though nearly three decades have passed, the story of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables remains shocking to this day. He added: "As Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss held, (Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. He claimed that information about him already existed online. At the canal, they dropped Bulger on his head and left him on the ground crying. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. This led to a police investigation of the drive, which yielded dozens of images of abused children. 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