A FORMER South Dorset MP escaped prosecution for child abuse, newly-released files reveal.

Victor Montagu, a right-wing Tory MP and one-time political secretary to Stanley Baldwin, was let off with a caution by the Director of Public Prosecutions in 1972 for indecently assaulting a boy for nearly two years.

The decision by Sir Norman Skelhorn QC meant Montagu never stood trial and his paedophile activities were never exposed.

A letter from prosecutors states: “The assaults, which are admitted, are not of themselves very serious, and if Mr Montagu is prepared to take the excellent advice given to him by Det Ch Insp [Jack] Newman and avoid any contact with the boy in the future I do not think that proceedings are called for.”

Montagu was South Dorset MP from 1941-1962. He became 10th Earl of Sandwich in 1964 but renounced the title to stand for parliament again as an independent. He died in 1995.

The files were released after 40 years following a Freedom of Information request by The Guardian newspaper.

They show that the boy was interviewed in 1972 and two officers visited Montagu's Mapperton home and interviewed him under caution.

He was later charged by police with two counts of indecently assaulting a male under 16 on a number of occasions between 31 December 1970 and January 1972 and of indecently assaulting the same boy between 31 December 1971 and November 1972. He was remanded to appear at Bridport magistrates' court.

But when the then chief constable of Dorset and Bournemouth Police, Arthur Hambleton, wrote to Skelhorn for advice on the case, prosecutors chose to give Montagu a caution instead of proceeding with a criminal trial in public.

A note, from the DPP’s office endorsing the decision, said the case was “borderline” but because Montagu was of “previous good character” and there was “no fear of repetition with this boy … we could caution”.

According to the files, Montagu said of the accusations: “That’s simply romping about with children either with clothes on or not doesn’t amount to that … there was no vice or criminality involved.”

Last year, Montagu's son Robert spoke of the abuse he had suffered at the hands of his father.

Robert Montagu believes around 20 other young boys suffered the same abuse.

He published a book, detailing the abuse, in a bid to help other victims to speak out.

Dorset police assistant chief constable David Lewis said: “The actions and decisions of people over 40 years ago should not reflect on those involved in the criminal justice system now.

“Dorset police takes any allegation involving child sexual abuse very seriously and investigates them thoroughly. We would strongly encourage anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to speak to us, regardless of whether those offences took place recently or in the past.”