COLIN KIDD OF LETCHWORTH AND HITCHIN JAILED FOR DECADES-OLD SEXUAL ABUSE ON YOUNG GIRLS

In a case that has spanned over two decades, a man from Letchworth has been sentenced to prison for the sexual abuse of two young girls in Hitchin during the 1980s and early 1990s. Colin Kidd, aged 64 and residing on Temple Gardens in Letchworth, was convicted of six counts of indecent assault following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court. The jury found him guilty on all charges on a Friday, leading to a subsequent sentencing on the following Monday.

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth handed Kidd a six-year prison term and mandated that he sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. Despite having no prior criminal record, Kidd maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, denying all allegations. The offences took place in Hitchin, where the victims, girls aged between three and five at the time, were subjected to inappropriate acts by Kidd during visits and interactions in the 1980s and early 1990s.

During the court hearing, a statement was read out by the judge on behalf of one of the victims. She recounted her memories of numerous instances when Kidd would inappropriately touch her. These incidents reportedly occurred during a period when she was preparing to attend pre-school and before she had started nursery. The victim described how Kidd would watch television with the girls and, during these times, would stroke around their genitals. She also recalled a particularly disturbing incident where Kidd entered one of the girls’ bedrooms and performed a sexual act.

Detective Constable Helen Richmond, from the Historical Investigation Team, expressed her support for the sentence, emphasizing the importance of justice for victims of such crimes. She stated, “We welcome this sentence and hope it brings some reassurance to the victims of Colin Kidd. We recognise the long-lasting impact these types of offences have on victims and, despite the difficulties which can occur with the passage of time, we will always seek to bring offenders to justice.”

Jon Brown, representing the child protection charity NSPCC, highlighted the significance of victims coming forward. He said, “It’s vitally important that abuse victims come forward and report what has happened so that they can get the help they may need and so that the abuser can be brought to justice – regardless of whether the abuse is recent or happened a long time ago. It’s also important that when victims are courageous enough to disclose their experiences they must be listened to and believed.”