CEDRIC AGENT FROM SOUTH SHIELDS JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN NEWCASTLE
In a case that has spanned over four decades, an 86-year-old man from South Shields, Cedric Agent, has been sentenced to prison for a series of heinous child sex offenses committed nearly 50 years ago.The disturbing details of his crimes emerged during a court hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, where the victim, now an adult woman, bravely confronted her attacker and recounted the lifelong trauma inflicted upon her.
Agent, who resides on Oswald Street in South Shields, was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault against a single victim, who was only a schoolgirl at the time of the assaults.
Despite his admission of guilt, the court was told that Agent shows little remorse for his actions.
His own legal representative stated, “I would struggle to persuade the court that he is genuinely remorseful.” The court heard that the offenses took place approximately 40 to 50 years ago, a period during which the maximum sentences available were less severe than those today.
Mr.
Recorder Jamie Hill QC emphasized this point, noting, “The offences are now between 40 and 50 years old.
I am restricted by the maximum sentences there were available in the 1960s and 1970s.” During the trial, the victim recounted the terrifying experience of her first attack.
She described how she screamed for help, only to have Agent cover her mouth and tell her to “shut up.” She explained that she felt unable to breathe during the assault, which marked the beginning of a lifetime of emotional and psychological suffering.
Her statement was read aloud in court, revealing the profound impact of the abuse.
In her heartfelt testimony, she described how her confidence and self-worth were shattered.
“My spirit was broken.
I had no confidence and no self-worth, I lost my dignity,” she said.
She also expressed feelings of shame and guilt, believing that the abuse was somehow her fault.
Addressing Agent directly, she called him a “dangerous paedophile” and described him as “cruel, sadistic and depraved,” asserting that “there are no depths to which he will not sink.” Following her decision to report the crimes to Northumbria Police, the woman said she began to feel a sense of relief and regained her dignity after more than fifty years of suffering.
“I realize this is when my dignity returned, more than half a century after he stole it from me,” she stated.
Judge Hill paid tribute to her dignity in court, praising her for reading her statement with strength and resilience.
He also addressed Agent directly, hoping that the court’s proceedings might serve as a reminder of the devastating effects such crimes have on victims.
The judge sentenced Agent to seven years in prison, with additional requirements including lifelong sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.
