Former royal butler jailed for child abuse

LONDON (Reuters) - A former royal butler who once took a child he was sexually abusing to a tea party with Queen Elizabeth's mother was jailed for at least six years on Monday after being convicted of paedophilia.

Paul Kidd, 55, who was a senior footman to the Queen Mother between 1979 and 1984 and also worked for the Queen, pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault and six counts of sexual activity with a child, the Press Association reported.

Police began investigating Kidd when a victim came forward after seeing the butler quoted in a newspaper article on the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, princess of Wales.

Other victims, including the child who was taken to tea with the Queen Mother, came forward after Kidd was charged.

Among items police found on Kidd's computer were more than 18,000 images of unknown children and a video of him abusing another child as recently as 2006.

Kidd, who boasted about his job on the website www.royalbutler.co.uk, began working for the royal family in 1977.

"I regard you as someone who is dangerous and presents a risk to all the young people you may come across," the judge said while sentencing Kidd. "You were someone who had influenced your victims to such an extent they were under your spell."

Buckingham Palace said it had no comment on the case.

(Reporting by Luke Baker; editing by Tim Pearce)