Milton Keynes man jailed for child sex offences dating back as far as 1966
He was sentenced to 17 years behind bars at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.
A man from Milton Keynes has been jailed for child sex offences dating back almost six decades.
73-year-old Joseph Whitbread was sentenced to 17 years in prison yesterday (Friday 22nd November), following a 16-day trial at Oxford Crown Court.
He was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault on a girl aged aged under 11 years old, two counts of indecency with a child and one count each of indecent assault on a girl aged under five-years-old, indecent assault on a girl aged under 13-years-old and attempted rape on a child under 13-years-old.
The offences relate to incidents from 1966 to 2006 where Whitbread subjected multiple children, who are now in their 50s to 70s, to indecent assaults.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Kelly Love-Williams said: “Joseph Whitbread is a dangerous individual who’s offending spans many years.
“He subjected his victims to horrific sexual abuse and he abused those who trusted him.
“The victims have shown immense courage and bravery throughout this trial despite the trauma of having to relive what happened to them.
“This sort of crime will never be tolerated and we are pleased that the seriousness of the crimes has been reflected in the sentence.
“I hope that this sentence demonstrates that age is not a barrier to conviction and brings some closure to the victims.”
If you're a child victim of sexual abuse, you can find support from the NSPCC here.