Todmorden paedophile dies, aged 64

16 April 2010
Lancashire Telegraph

A convicted paedophile, who lived in Todmorden in the 1970s, and was investigated in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has died.

Raymond Hewlett, 64, died of throat cancer and was cremated at a pauper’s funeral in Germany, where he lived.

Shortly before he died, Hewlett admitted that he was staying near Praia da Luz, Portugal, when the three-year-old went missing in May 2007.  (Blogger note:  This cannot be left without comment.  Please note other articles related to this - Raymond Hewlett allegedly told *PETER VERRAN* that he stayed near Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2002 - five years before Madeleine went missing.  The Hewletts visited PdL when they first arrived in the Algarve.  Hewlett was known to have lived in a van and was approximately one hour from PdL, with his wife and 6 children.)

He looked similar to pictures of a suspect seen near her apartment, but always insisted he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

Hewlett has been jailed several times for sexual offences against young girls.

In September 1972, Hewlett abducted a 12-year-old girl and took her on to moors near his home in Todmorden where he incapacitated her with a rag soaked in paint thinners and sexually assaulted her.