CHARLES WASHBOURNE SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON IN HEREFORD FOR SEXUAL ABUSE

In April 2002, a pensioner named Charles Washbourne was jailed for five years after being convicted of sexual abuse crimes committed over a 13-year span in Hereford. The 77-year-old offender coerced a five-year-old boy into performing oral sex and attempted to force him into another serious sexual act. He also attacked a 14-year-old boy by climbing into his bed. Additionally, a third victim, a 15-year-old, was unable to forget the abuse, as described by prosecutor Pardeep Tiwana during the trial at Worcester Crown Court.

The offences took place between 1976 and 1989 and only came to light after the youngest victim contacted police last year to report the abuse. Washbourne, formerly residing at Golden Post, Hereford, and now of no fixed address, had previously spent time in the Far East, where he reportedly used rent boys for sex. Despite his past, he was suffering from a lung disease that left him impotent.

Judge Michael Mott addressed the defendant, stating, “He was responsible for disgusting offences. He has no sense of right or wrong and remains a potential risk to boys.” The judge acknowledged that the sentence was reduced due to Washbourne's age and health issues but emphasized that he would be on a four-year prison license upon release and registered as a sex offender for life.

Washbourne admitted to six counts of buggery, attempted buggery, and indecent assault. Mr. Tiwana explained, “He stripped the five-year-old for sex assaults, and when the boy was only 10, he carried out a serious sexual assault on him while he was blindfolded.” The 14-year-old victim confided in a friend, who did not believe him, and also told his mother, who advised him to forget about it. Later, the same 15-year-old friend discovered Washbourne’s perverted tendencies after being attacked himself.

The accused was arrested in October of the previous year but could not recall the details described by his victims. Washbourne had a prior criminal record involving sex crimes, including a 1981 conviction for luring two boys from a cycling club to his home where he groped them, resulting in a two-year jail sentence. In 1995, he was again imprisoned for two years following an indecent assault on a 13-year-old boy.

During the sentencing, defense solicitor Sally Hancox highlighted that his guilty pleas spared the victims the ordeal of giving detailed testimony. She also noted that his health was declining and that he was becoming confused, mistakenly believing he could leave Gloucester prison to collect his pension. She emphasized, “Although the events were some time ago, that doesn’t diminish their seriousness. This was dramatic wrongdoing involving a breach of trust with young children.”