DEREK STOREY'S REIGN OF TERROR IN SUNDERLAND: CHILD SEX OFFENDER BACK BEHIND BARS AFTER VICTIMS SPEAK OUT
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Sunderland, Derek Storey, a man with a long history of sexual offenses against children, has been remanded back into custody following new allegations brought forward by victims who have bravely come forward to share their traumatic experiences.Storey, now 57 years old, was initially sentenced to eight years in prison in 2013 for crimes committed against four victims, both male and female, during the 1970s.
His criminal record also includes a conviction for sexually assaulting a child in 1990.
After serving only half of his original sentence, he was released in 2017, but his freedom was short-lived as recent allegations prompted his re-arrest and subsequent sentencing.
The latest court proceedings took place at Newcastle Crown Court, where Judge Jeremy Freedman described Storey as a man who poses a “high risk” to children.
The court heard that while he was still serving his previous sentence at HMP Northumberland, detectives questioned him about the new allegations.
Storey denied the accusations, claiming they were “not true.” However, on the day he was scheduled to stand trial, he unexpectedly pleaded guilty to 11 counts of sexual assault.
Judge Freedman sentenced Storey to an additional ten years and nine months in prison, complemented by a three-year extended license period.
The judge emphasized the severity of Storey’s actions and his lack of remorse, stating, “Your sexual gratification was all that mattered to you.
It is apparent you have shown no understanding, no empathy of the harm you have caused.
I have not seen any remorse.” Furthermore, the judge ordered Storey to sign the sex offenders register and adhere to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
Addressing Storey directly, Judge Freedman remarked, “You have no concept of the effect sexual abuse has on those children.” The court revealed that Storey had told one of his recent victims that his offending was their “little secret,” warning her not to tell anyone.
Both victims, now women, described the lasting impact of his abuse, which has profoundly affected their lives.
One victim expressed feelings of “emptiness, loss, and confusion,” and admitted that being around men in public makes her “stomach turn.” The other victim shared that her trauma is something she believes will “effect me for the rest of my life,” and she often felt as though she had done something wrong.
In a related case from February 2014, Derek Storey’s sentence for child sex offenses was reduced on appeal.
Originally sentenced to 11 years at Newcastle Crown Court for abusing three girls and a boy in the 1970s, his punishment was later cut to eight years after an appeal by his legal team.
The appellate judges, Sir John Griffith Williams, Lord Rupert Jackson, and Judge Brian Barker, found that the original sentence was “manifestly excessive.” The victims’ impact statements detailed the long-term psychological scars inflicted by Storey’s abuse, including the loss of innocence and ongoing suffering.
The court noted that Storey was only a teenager himself at the time of the offenses, which was a factor in the initial sentencing.
However, the recent legal proceedings highlighted that he had not reoffended in over 30 years, and his current age and behavior were considered in the sentencing adjustments.
The case came to light after one of the victims referred to Storey as a “dirty pervert” during a Facebook conversation, which prompted the victims to come forward.
When arrested in June of the previous year, Storey claimed that all allegations were “fabricated.” Earlier, in August 2013, Storey was sentenced to 11 years for a series of heinous crimes committed while he was still a teenager.
The court heard that his abuse included molestation and rape, with one victim recounting how he told her to “shut up and lie there.” The sentence was handed down after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault and rape, with the court acknowledging the devastating impact on his victims, some of whom had attempted to take their own lives as a result of his actions.
Throughout these proceedings, Storey’s defense argued that his behavior was driven by curiosity that had gone too far, and that he had accepted responsibility for his actions.
Nevertheless, the courts have consistently recognized the severity of his crimes and the ongoing danger he poses to the community of Sunderland.
