Paedophile and former Durham cricket coach jail term extended
Michael Strange, 63, was previously jailed in 2012 for six years
A prolific paedophile who worked as a cricket coach has now been sentenced for a fifth time – prompting police to urge other victims of non-recent sexual abuse to come forward.
Coach and former scout Michael Strange was sentenced to a further two years behind bars.
In August, Strange, 63, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and today (Thursday) a judge at Newcastle Crown Court extended his jail term.
Strange was previously jailed in 2012 for six years for abusing three boys in the 1990s.
In 2016 he received an additional three-year sentence for abusing another teen in the early 2000s and in 2020 he was handed an extra-four-and-half years behind bars for indecently assaulting another boy.
And, last year he was jailed for an additional 40 months after he pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent sexual assault.
He has previously been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
The officer in charge of the case, Detective Constable Lisa Herron, of Northumbria Police said:
“Strange, once revered as a ‘hero’ in cricket circles, is a dangerous predator who preyed on young boys under his tutorage in the most sickening of ways.
“He robbed multiple promising young cricket stars of their innocence. He is the definition of a monster.
“It has never been easy for any of his victims to speak out and to have to re-live that childhood trauma but I, on behalf of everyone at Northumbria Police, want to thank the victims who have bravery come forward. Thanks to your courage, Strange has remained behind bars and been exposed for the depraved beast he is.”
“I want to urge any victim of sexual assault, abuse or rape to please speak out regardless of when it happened or who the perpetrator was because nobody should have to deal with abuse alone.
“We know how difficult it is to speak out and we promise we will support you in every way we can. We can offer support and guidance and put you in touch with specially trained Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and introduce you to support networks.
“And, of course, we will do everything we can to seek justice for you. No one deserves to suffer.”
Anyone who has been victim of rape, sexual assault or abuse is asked to contact police on 101 or report via the "Tell Us Something" page of the Northumbria Police website. Always call 999 in an emergency.
For more information about rape or sexual assault search Northumbria Police online. All our webpages have a 'hide page' function and there is guidance on deleting your internet history.
If you have concerns about using your own devices, contact a close friend or family member to use their device or use the internet access at a local library.
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