Sick sex fantasies revealed by paedophile chef in court case

Russell Brookman, aged 46, who ran the popular Bar Nine venue in John Street, Stroud in the 2000s, was jailed for two years and eight months after a recent court case.

Brookman admitted arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence plus two charges of distributing an indecent image of a child after being caught in a police sting last year.

Russell Brookman was jailed for two years and eight months at Cardiff Crown Court (Image: Gwent Police)

The case was held recently at Cardiff Crown Court, which heard how Brookman, from Monmouth, was caught by an undercover police officer discussing having sex with young girls as a fantasy.

Brookman - who recently worked as chef at pizza restaurants in the Cirencester area - thought he was chatting to a mother of two young girls when it was in fact a police officer.

During a conversation with the decoy, Brookman said it was his fantasy to have sex with young girls, although he added that this desire had 'never been fulfilled'.

"I think it’s because it’s so wrong,” Brookman added.

When Brookman found out that one of the decoy's 'daughters' was 10, he replied: “Ten is a very cute age.”

Brookman also sent an indecent photograph of a child at category B and one at category C to the decoy.

The offences took place between July 30 and September 23 last year.

Alice Sykes, representing Brookman, who had no previous convictions, said: “He knows he has an issue which desperately needs to be addressed.”

Her client had sought help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a UK-based charity focused on child protection, she added.

Miss Sykes added that her client had a job and argued that there was a realistic prospect of him being rehabilitated in the community under the auspices of the probation service as part of a suspended prison sentence.

But the judge, Recorder Barry Clarke, disagreed and told the defendant that his offending was so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

Brookman was jailed for two years and eight months and was told he would serve around half of that in prison before being released on licence.

He will have to register as a sex offender for life and he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.

The news has sent a shockwave through the Stroud community, with one former Bar Nine regular reacting with disbelief.

"The news has come a total shock," said the bar-goer, who frequented the venue in the 2000s when it was run by Brookman as a trendy venue with DJs.

"Many will find it hard to square the convivial chatty bar manager we all knew and liked with the individual involved in this case.

"Russell was well-liked at Bar Nine and seemed to know all the customers.

"He was a very professional bar manager who was also adept at being a host.

"Many former customers will be in disbelief at this case."

Russell Brookman worked as a chef at pizza restaurants in the Cirencester area (Image: Submitted)

In February last year, Brookman was hired to work at pizza company Cattivo Pizza at the Old Kennels in Cirencester Park.

He also worked at Roots + Seeds at Cirencester Park and Gloucester Food Dock.

His most recent job was as the head chef at Roots + Seeds Far Peak near Northleach, which opened in March this year.