Man from Warrington jailed for repeatedly abusing child in Sunderland
Brian Harrison committed the attacks almost five decades ago
A man who repeatedly abused a school-aged child in Sunderland has been jailed for four years and four months.
Brian Harrison sexually assaulted his victim almost five decades ago, when he was a young adult.
The 66 year old from Poachers Lane in Warrington, Cheshire admitted six offences when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court.
Speaking after the conclusion of court, the victim shared these words: “Brian Harrison preyed on me as a very young child.
“I have carried the secret which feels like individual embarrassment for over 45 years.
“It was only following my police interview that my experiences finally sunk in with me coming to terms that something I regarded as being a traumatic and adverse childhood experience was in fact repeated acts of rape as a child.
“It is now time for Brian Harrison to carry the burden of his actions and for those who know him to see that he is a child sex offender, rather than the person he likes to portray.”
Detective Constable Wood from Northumbria Police led the investigation - she said:
“It’s incomprehensible to imagine what the victim has been through – having kept these crimes to himself for more than four decades.
“I am extremely grateful he bravely decided to disclose Harrison’s crimes to us, which allowed us to take action and finally put his abuser before the courts.
“I hope he feels extremely proud of himself, he’s finally allowed himself to get justice.
"I hope this case shows other people out there who may be in two minds about telling police that it’s truly never too late to start this process.
“No one should have to go through anything like this, and I'd urge anyone who has been a victim of any form of sexual offending to reach out, whether it happened yesterday, last week, or decades ago.
“There is no time limit on the support we can provide – we’re here for you.”