'PREDATORY PAEDOPHILE' JAILED FOR HISTORIC SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN
A man described as a "predatory paedophile" has been convicted and imprisoned for historical child sexual abuse offenses.David Spence, aged 67, sexually assaulted three children during the 1980s and 1990s, leaving his victims who are now adults struggling with mental health problems.
Spence committed these heinous acts against very young children in the Spennymoor region, maintaining his innocence for many years.
Durham Crown Court was informed that his victims first reported the abuse in 2002, but initially no legal action was taken, to their deep disappointment.
The allegations were later revisited, leading to police investigations; Spence denied the accusations during this period.
Ultimately, on October 18, Spence admitted guilt to the indecent assaults when his trial was scheduled to commence.
He appeared before the court on Friday for sentencing.
Prosecutor Shaun Dodds stated that Spence was between 27 and 45 years old at the time of the abuses.
Mr Dodds detailed that Spence assaulted one child in a woodland area and gave another victim £2, warning them not to tell anyone.
The court was told that complaints about Spence first emerged in 2002, prompting an investigation, though the Crown Prosecution Service did not press charges initially due to lack of sufficient evidence.
In a victim impact statement, one individual described suffering from low self-esteem, night terrors, panic attacks, and paranoia as ongoing effects of the abuse.
Another victim labelled Spence as a "predatory paedophile" in their statement.
Defence lawyer Paul Reid lamented that the crimes were not properly investigated two decades ago.
He acknowledged that Spence, who hails from Spennymoor and was historically well-regarded in the community, had also been affected by the situation.
Reid highlighted that Spence had worked in engineering throughout his life, only retiring recently, and emphasized that his guilty plea was a significant factor in mitigation.
The judge, Recorder Maria Karaiskos, sentenced Spence to 10 and a half years in prison, with an additional 12 months on extended licence.
She also imposed a restraining order against him until further notice.
Furthermore, Spence was ordered to comply with a sexual harm prevention order, which will remain in effect until the court directs otherwise, and he was registered as a sex offender.
