Harry Cook: A man of budo.

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/sent-for-sentence-1.839735?referrerPath=news

Pretty sick really.It seems he groomed a girl of 12 and forced her into a relationship she didn't want over a period of several years.At least he had the decency to plead guilty so perhaps there is some hope for him.

Can I ask where your information comes from Tony. WHilst he needs to rot for a long time, you are portraying one set of 'facts' and there are at least five verisons out there.

Ace Ventura wrote:Can I ask where your information comes from Tony. WHilst he needs to rot for a long time, you are portraying one set of 'facts' and there are at least five verisons out there.

From the news reports and a posting by the father of the girl who was abused.

A posting by th efather? Where was that?

He made a post on Martial Arts Planet.Previously he had posted on Facebook as he wanted to clarify some of the rumours that were going around.

Having met Cook and trained with him a couple of times in the past he is the last person I would have suspected of doing this kind of thing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harry Cook pleads guilty to sexual assault charges.

As the father of the victim in question, my daughter, I wish to put forward what actually happened and this will stop all the speculation that has been read on various forums on the internet.



But first of all I would like to strongly point out that my daughter DID NOT have a crush on Harry Cook whatsoever. This has caused a lot of upset to my daughter when she read what had been posted. In fact I find it a disgrace and we are seeking legal advice over what has been posted. As you will see with what has happened over the last 6 years, Harry Cook is 100% responsible for his actions and there were and are no excuses for his despicable behaviour.



As you can understand my family members have been left devastated, traumatised and emotionally damaged to what has happened . My daughter in particular has lost her childhood, her innocence, she is mentally and emotionally scarred and it will take her years to recover if at all, over what this evil monster has done to her both physically and psychologically over the years.



To make it clear to everyone who knew Harry Cook, his family, his friends and his colleagues, this is exactly what happened to my daughter. Please note that Harry Cook was aged around 56 in 2006 when these events first took place and continued up to and were continuing this year 2011 when he was aged approx 61.



All what follows was told to my family at the beginning of May and this was the first time that my daughter had told a soul. She had been in emotional pain for many years, felt threatened by Harry Cook every time she went to karate and had lived in this fear from the age of 12. I would also like to add that my daughter looks very young for her age and even at 18 she could pass for a 14 year old. At 12 my daughter looked around 8 years of age.



In Feb 2006, when my daughter was aged just 12, Harry Cook put his hands on her left breast on at least two occasions during a particular karate move known as randori.



In 2006 after my daughter turned 13, Harry Cook continued to touch her breasts on certain moves in the karate lessons. This was on at least 5 occasions.



In 2007 to 2008, Harry Cook not only touched my daughter's breasts on several occasions but he touched her private area when doing a karate move. She was aged 14 and 15 at the time. He also started buying her presents and birthday gifts such as perfume and this continued over the years. My daughter was told these presents were from Harry Cook and his wife.



In April 2009 just after my daughter turned 16, Harry Cook took my daughter on a training course. While there he bought her a revealing tracksuit top. They went swimming together and he touched her on the stomach and back to help her swim. Harry Cook then suggested that they take some photographs of my daughter in her hotel room. Harry Cook took several photos of my daughter's face and then showed her a leather top that he wanted her to wear. He then suggested some bikini shots which my daughter refused to do. He then took some photos of them together and put his hand inside my daughter's bra. He then took several more photos.



In July 2009 Harry Cook took my daughter who was 16 on a fell walk. He suggested that she wore a bikini so he could take some photos. He took her to a barn and took some photos of my daughter. He then put his hand inside her bra and felt her breasts. He said to her that he was not going to rape her and she did not need to get a bodyguard. He added that he found her very attractive. Harry Cook then asked to kiss my daughter which my daughter refused. He then asked her about a course in Sep and that he hoped she was still wanting to go. He asked my daughter if she had a boyfriend and hugged her on more than one occasion. He continued to pay her compliments and then offered to lend her some money if she ever needed it.



After the walk, Harry Cook took my daughter back to his dojo. He asked my daughter if he could take some topless shots. My daughter said no but he asked her to push her breasts together in her purple bra she was wearing and he took several photos of my daughter's breasts. Harry then told my daughter that she had great boobs, a great shape and small is good. He asked my daughter her bra size several times, asked her if she had a boyfriend again and then talked about a lesbian friend he knew to my daughter.



Later that year in karate classes, Harry Cook lectured the class with my daughter in attendance about a girl who did training with another man who kept touching this girl. This girl had confided in Harry Cook and he had told her to train with him. This left my daughter in a very confused state of mind. He continued the lecture with statements such as no one should be touched in karate and how much he disliked rapists.



In Sep 2009, Harry Cook took my daughter on a course. On the way back Harry Cook showed photographs to my daughter of a topless girl on the beach which he had taken. He explained that this girl had low confidence and after she had posed for him, she was much more confident. He said that he wanted to take some topless photographs of my daughter and that they would be for his and her eyes only. He asked her if he could buy her some alcohol. My daughter said no but he replied that they could have a drink when she turned 18.



In Sep 2009 at Harry Cook's 60th birthday party, my daughter was invited. Harry Cook asked her want she was wearing and took photos of her later dressed up as a St Trinian's schoolgirl at the party.



2010 Harry Cook continued to put his hands down my daughter's bra on many occasions during karate lessons. She was aged 16 and 17 at the time.



In Oct 2010 when my daughter was 17 he showed her discreetly some topless photos of girls while the rest of the karate class were training. Harry asked my daughter if he could take some photos of her like this. My daughter agreed as she did not know what to say. After that my daughter unbeknown to me stopped going to karate.



In Nov/Dec 2010, Harry Cook texted my daughter many times asking her to come to his place to do those photos.



In Feb 2011 after my daughter has taken some exams, she was taken to karate I thought she had missed just the one month due to study. Harry Cook touched her breasts in this lesson. She stopped going to karate again, I was not aware she had stopped again.



In Mar/Apr 2011 when my daughter turned 18 Harry Cook sent her lots of texts asking her to come round to his house as he was alone and they could take those topless photos of her. She ran away from home without explanation for a few days.



End of Apr 2011, my daughter ran away from home for 8 days again without explanation, but it was due to Harry texting her all the time again. When I eventually found my daughter and brought her back home, she broke down and told the family what Harry Cook had been doing to her all these years. From this moment on our lives have been a nightmare, for my daughter the nightmare still goes on but at least Harry Cook is in custody.



I am sure you will agree that my daughter has been very brave in coming forward. Although at huge personal costs to her and the family not only from now onwards but over the years proceeding, we all know she has done the correct thing. If more people can come forward who have been affected by Harry Cook at whatever time in the past, then that would help in what is already a strong case against him. I know my daughter has now put a stop to this sick individual from ever doing this type of thing in the future and has saved many young girls from his evil clutches.



We all hope that Harry Cook is locked away from many many years and I know we have the backing of the karate world, his previous friends, his family and anyone who knew him. Harry Cook will be sentenced on Friday 17th June at Newcastle Crown Court and I am sure he will get a very lengthy sentence.



Harry Cook has committed many offences and there are many counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, under 16 and under 18. He has committed sexual harassment offences against my daughter, abused his position of trust, been child grooming my daughter for his own perverted persuasions and in possession of indecent photographs. So far he has been charged with 6 offences, there are very likely more to come in the months ahead.



Harry Cook will be sentenced on Friday 17th June at Newcastle Crown Court and I am sure he will get a very lengthy sentence which will be added to as the police continue their investigations....

That's just awful. Hope they throw away the key.

I was shocked when I saw this thead yesterday. I've never met the guy, buy I used to read his articles in FAI.

Thanks for that.

I have trained with Harry Cook on many occasions, he has stayed at my house, I considered him a friend.

I was shocked when I heard about this, could not believe it.

I hope he gets his just deserts.

What amazes me is that none of his senior students picked it up.Maybe they were blinded by sensei infatuation and couldn't see beyond the grade and the gi?

The trouble is we have ended up in a situation where elderly men have become creche assistants rather than martial arts instructors.My former instructor,also a 7th dan,is in the same situation and its rather sad to see him teaching classes of five year olds. The people they should be teaching have moved into MMA and Muay Thai as karate no longer serves their needs.You do get exception to the rule but its only on a very small scale and even these hardcore clubs have been tainted by the public's perception of karate.

Lots of people who know him well were shocked by this. No-one seemed to suspect it and I don't think that it was the grade or the gi. He wasn't even a grade/gi type guy.

There are actually quite a lot of exceptions. Although karate doesn't enjoy the best of public press, it won't be long before the MMA fad gives way to someting else and then people will be able to see that there are as many rubbish clubs in that as anything else.

Ace Ventura wrote:Lots of people who know him well were shocked by this. No-one seemed to suspect it and I don't think that it was the grade or the gi. He wasn't even a grade/gi type guy.

There are actually quite a lot of exceptions. Although karate doesn't enjoy the best of public press, it won't be long before the MMA fad gives way to someting else and then people will be able to see that there are as many rubbish clubs in that as anything else.

I think Cook's case is extremely rare in established karate circles and shouldn't give people the impression that all karate clubs are riddled with paedophiles.What is cause for concern are kindergarten organisations such as GKR that mass produce instructors and often fail to carry out proper CRB checks.This is the kind of place where undesirables could slip through the net.

Being honest, I am not sure the CRB check is worth the paper it is printed on and gives people a false sense of security.

I'm failing to see what this has to do with karate at all. Paedophiles are everywhere...in the church, in schools, in day cares, sports teams, in fact from every walk of life. I'm sure certain professions attract them because it gets them easy access to their intended victims but I hardly see karate or even martial arts being one that stands out more than others. I think the Catholic Church has cornered that market.

Nick

Nick Hughes wrote:I'm failing to see what this has to do with karate at all. Paedophiles are everywhere...in the church, in schools, in day cares, sports teams, in fact from every walk of life. I'm sure certain professions attract them because it gets them easy access to their intended victims but I hardly see karate or even martial arts being one that stands out more than others. I think the Catholic Church has cornered that market.

Nick

It depends on how you define karate.In Harry Cook's case he pontifcated about character development and the spiritual side of karate.

Nothing at all Nick. As I knew him personally though - was a real shocker.

Big surprise to me too. I've never met him but I spent hours on the phone to him back when I did karate and we had a lot of mutual friends who I imagine are stunned.

There was a small 'community' around Harry in a lot of ways. Was a real blow.

Harry Cook's sentencing was adjourned due to him facing eigfht more charges against two other victims.

Tony,

I take your point about the character development but that can be said about a lot of these guys and where they end up. The sports coaches are involved in sports which are also supposed to develop character and the catholic church - hands down an organization which has more child molesters than any other - is all about not committing sin, leading a pure life in the eye's of god etc.

Are the sports, the church and karate at fault here, or is it the man himself?

Nick

I agree with Nick here.

It's the man himself who is responsible for his actions. Deplorable though it is, this sort of filthy behaviour is found across the board in all walks of life.

It would be illogical to lay any of the blame at the door of Karate. However I don't think TonyK is doing that. I get the impression that he is underlining the hypocrisy of Harry Cook. A man who (apparently) purported to hold to the tenets of Budo, and who felt entitled to preach to others as to how they should conduct their lives.

Nick Hughes wrote:Tony,

I take your point about the character development but that can be said about a lot of these guys and where they end up. The sports coaches are involved in sports which are also supposed to develop character and the catholic church - hands down an organization which has more child molesters than any other - is all about not committing sin, leading a pure life in the eye's of god etc.

Are the sports, the church and karate at fault here, or is it the man himself?

Nick

Obviously it is down to Cook.He had authority and status and decided to abuse it. But that authority and status was a result of his rank and position in a hierarchy.Put him in vest and shorts in an gym and the young people would probably laugh at him rather than elevate him to a status he clearly didn't deserve.He was hiding behind a position of trust in exactly the same way as some Catholic priests do.

As BN said,its the pure hypocrisy of the man that stinks.He wasn't a village karate instructor with a few students but rather the head of an organisation and world class authority on karate.

This newspaper article sums it up for me.

From the name to the appearance, he’s more bank manager than Bruce Lee.

A short trip up his garden path sharp changes that impression, though.

For when he opens up what looks like a large shed, you get a glimpse of another world.

The innate power of Harry Cook, 7th dan master of two separate forms of the Eastern art, stands in the middle of his dojo – his purpose-built, fighting arena – and firmly ties a black belt around his waist.

Respectful, quietly spoken and controlled, suddenly he’s someone you wouldn’t want to take on in a fight.

Luckily, Harry walks this world in peace. Karate, he says, is about self-defence and self improvement – he practises the art in its purest form.

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/harry-is-master-of-oriental-art-1.269446?referrerPath=


The props certainly worked on that reporter.

New sex charges admitted

By ROSALIND SAUL

Published at 09:10, Monday, 05 September 2011

A WELL-KNOWN Haltwhistle karate instructor has admitted a further string of sexual assaults dating back to 1984.

Henry Wilson Cook (62), of Castle Hill House, had previously pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual assault against a female between March 2006 and February this year.

And at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday he admitted a further eight new indecent assault offences committed between 1984 and 1988.

Six of the new offences relate to a female under 14 and two relate to a female under 16.

Prosecuting, Penny Moreland, asked for sentencing to be adjourned while further complaints, which had recently come to light against Cook, were investigated.

The case was adjourned until September 30.

Cook is currently on remand in Durham Prison.

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/new-sex-charges-admitted-1.875001?referrerPath=news

I dont know Harry Cook, so I can judge the situation from a totally unbiased view.
Any adult, whether it be a Karate instructor, teacher, priest, Police officer, Parent or someone in a position of trust, that commits this type of offence against a vulnerable child, has no excuse, none what so ever for their actions and as so they deserve the harshest punishment available via the courts.

On a side note when Paedophiles and sex offenders are let back into society, I find it very hard to feel any sympathy at all. When local parents find out about them and lay seige to the offenders home. Making their life a misery.

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/court-case-adjourned-1.886175?referrerPath=news

Hexham Courant
News
News at a Glance

Court case adjourned

Last updated at 10:44, Monday, 10 October 2011

THE case against a Haltwhistle karate instructor who has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault has been adjourned.

Henry Wilson Cook (62) of Castle Hill House, has admitted 14 offences between 1984 and February this year.

Cook appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, when proceedings were adjourned until October 21. He was remanded in custody.

Hexham Courant
News
News at a Glance

More sex charges

By ROSALIND SAUL

Last updated at 10:40, Monday, 31 October 2011

A HALTWHISTLE karate instructor who has already admitted 14 counts of sexual assault is facing more charges.

Henry Wilson Cook (62), of Castle Hill House, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ last week charged with 29 further offences, including sexual assault and taking and possessing indecent images and videos of children.

Cook, who is currently on remand in Durham Prison, made no plea.

The case was adjourned until November 25.

Cook is currently awaiting sentence at Newcastle Crown Court after pleading guilty to 14 indecent assault offences, committed between 1984 and February this year.

Sentencing has been adjourned while the new charges are dealt with.



http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/news-at-a-glance/more-sex-charges-1.892605?referrerPath=/hx-news-and-sport-1.257779

Update.

http://www.jarrowandhebburngazette.com/news/crime/karate_master_admits_string_of_child_sex_offences_1_4148386

Karate master admits string of child sex offences






Published on Monday 16 January 2012 16:47A KARATE expert who has written a history of the martial art and taught hundreds of pupils has admitted a string of sexual offences against girls.

Henry Wilson Cook, known as Harry, was a trusted and respected instructor, whose limited edition book Shotokan Karate: A Precise History now fetches £100 on the internet.

He answered “guilty” - sometimes in a whisper - each time the clerk at Newcastle Crown Court read out eight charges of indecent assault, seven of sexual assault, five of making indecent images of children, seven of possessing indecent images of children, one of possessing an extreme pornographic image and one of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Police discovered 55,585 indecent images of children when he was arrested.

He admitted possessing one extreme image of a person having sex with an animal.

Cook, 62, formerly of Castle Hill Terrace, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, was already in prison awaiting sentence after last year admitting a series of sex assaults on children.

The married father will be sentenced in March following a psychiatric assessment.

The prosecution did not open the case against him.

Police continued to investigate after he first admitted charges last year and more victims came forward.

News of his offending has shocked those who knew him in the karate world.

Cook, originally from South Shields, is a seventh Dan master of two forms of karate.

After studying at Durham University, and training as a school teacher, he devoted his life to the martial art.

* Don’t miss tomorrow’s Gazette for more on this breaking story.