JOHN KIRBY SENTENCED IN GLOUCESTER FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF GIRL FROM GLOUCESTER

In July 2012, a man named John Kirby, aged 63, was sentenced to a total of six years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl. Kirby, who was well-known in the Gloucester area for running the Newent News shop on Broad Street for over two decades, committed these heinous acts in the back of his shop, a detail that was revealed during the court proceedings at Gloucester Crown Court.

According to the prosecution, the victim, who was between the ages of 11 and 13 at the time of the offenses, confided in a teacher last year about the abuse she had suffered. This disclosure prompted the teacher to report the matter to the police, initiating an investigation into Kirby’s conduct.

During the trial, it was established that Kirby had admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the girl and had also confessed to six separate incidents of sexually assaulting her. The court heard that these acts of abuse took place within the confines of his shop, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of minors in the community.

Judge Jamie Tabor, presiding over the case, expressed his concern about the lasting impact of Kirby’s actions on the victim. He stated, “There is no doubt she has been deeply affected by your conduct. I suspect she will remain deeply affected for a long time to come.” The judge emphasized the severity of the emotional and psychological damage inflicted upon the girl.

Furthermore, the court was informed that after the allegations became public, the girl faced bullying from her peers, especially after the details of her abuse were shared on social networking sites like Facebook. The judge issued a stern warning that there must be no identification of the girl in any social media messages or online posts, underscoring that the law protecting child victims from identification applies equally to platforms like Facebook as it does to traditional media outlets. He cautioned that any breach of this law would be considered contempt of court, punishable by imprisonment, and police were actively monitoring social media for such violations.

Kirby’s defense lawyer, Sarah Jenkins, argued that her client was remorseful and fully recognized the harm his actions had caused the girl. Despite this, Judge Tabor sentenced Kirby to six years for the sexual activity and an additional four years concurrently for the six counts of sexual assault. The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order on Kirby and mandated that he register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.