MAN JAILED FOR HISTORIC SEXUAL ABUSE
A man from Evesham has received a prison sentence following an investigation into historical sexual abuse allegations dating back to the 1970s.Kevin Friend, aged 60 and residing on Weston Road, was given a nine-year custodial term at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, August 23.
The charges came to light when three victims came forward a decade after the offences occurred.
One of the victims expressed her feelings in a statement, saying: “This stopped me moving forwards and I have lived in limbo until now.
“I’m just hoping that after this case is finished I can actually finally put this to bed.
“I’ve just moved on now I am the age that I am and I’ve learnt to live with what happened.” Friend was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault involving victims under 16, as well as a sexual assault on an adult, and multiple counts of indecent assault, following a hearing on July 26.
He was acquitted of seven additional counts of indecent assault.
The court convicted him of assaulting one victim, aged 14 at the time, between 1977 and 1979, with incidents taking place in Chertsey.
He was convicted of an indecent assault and multiple counts of indecent assault relating to this victim.
He was also convicted of assaulting a second victim, who was 10 years old when assaulted, in Camberley between 1987 and 1990.
In addition, Friend was convicted of sexually assaulting a third victim, a 22-year-old woman, in Evesham during 2004 and 2005.
Detective Constable Sharron Goodchild stated: “I would like to praise the victims for having the courage to speak out and ensure Friend was brought to justice for these heinous crimes.
“We would not be where we are today without the resilience and bravery of the victims during our investigation.
I hope that Friend being found guilty, as well as the sentence imposed today, will allow them to put this behind them and finally move on with their lives.
“I also hope this will encourage others in a similar position to come forward and report it to us – we will always carry out a full investigation, no matter how long ago the offences were committed.”
