PORTHLEVEN PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR HISTORIC ABUSE
A paedophile who pretended to be mentally ill in order to evade relatives of his victims has recently been sentenced to prison.Frederick Hichens, aged 73, who formerly worked as a builder and resides on Gibson Way in Porthleven, was convicted following a trial at Truro Crown Court of 17 indecent assaults committed over several decades.
During the trial, it was revealed that Hichens, upon confrontation, told someone close to one of the victims that he was not a paedophile and claimed, 'it was just different back then.' Details of his crimes included performing oral sex on a young girl, digitally penetrating another victim repeatedly, and performing oral sex on her as well.
Additionally, he digitally penetrated a third victim and touched her private parts.
It was stated that Hichens's abusive acts have had long-lasting effects on his victims, causing issues like difficulty trusting others, difficulties in relationships, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.
At sentencing, Recorder Christopher Quinlan, QC, sentenced Hichens to 14 years in prison.
The victims expressed how the abuse had negatively impacted their lives, with one mentioning that recalling the abuse causes her to break down and that she has struggled to speak up, feeling her voice was insignificant.
The other victim reported ongoing struggles with relationships and mental health issues linked to his actions.
The defense argued that due to his age and health problems, imprisonment would be especially hard for him.
The case was introduced with witnesses recounting how Hichens, while in Royal Cornwall Hospital in 2020, admitted to abusing girls and expressed remorse, saying, 'What can I say, I’m f***ed, my life is over.' He also claimed that 'it was just different back then' to explain his behavior.
This confession prompted police to verify his claims, leading to his conviction and subsequent imprisonment.
