CHURCHGOER LESTER HARTNELL JAILED FOR HISTORIC CHILD ABUSE
A respected churchgoer has been jailed for the historic abuse which has caused his two young victims to suffer 50 years of emotional turmoil.Pensioner Lester Hartnell was in his late 20s and early 30s when he sexually assaulted a girl and boy in Devon.
His crimes remained secret for almost 50 years until the two victims discovered that each had suffered similar ordeals.
Hartnell, now aged 79, got married shortly after the final offence and has lived a law abiding life ever since.
The grandfather never told his wife or children and his past remained secret until the two victims went to the police in 2017.
Both wrote victim statements about how their life had been affected by their childhood experiences.
The girl, now a middle-aged woman, said she is still wary of men and that the abuse blighted her childhood and led to her becoming withdrawn and bullied in school.
She wrote: "I knew what he was doing was wrong but I was powerless to stop it.
I don't think he ever realised how frightened I was.
The morning after I would be sick because I felt so ashamed and guilty.
"It has made me less confident in life and held me back.
I have re-lived it many times throughout my life and it has never completely gone away." The boy, now a man in his 50s, said he got into trouble at school and experienced problems as a result.
It had also left him with strong homophobic feelings which he still struggles to overcome.
He said: "I was scared that as a child, nobody would believe me.
I felt embarrassment and great shame.
Any small thing can trigger the memory, even watching Emmerdale and seeing two men kiss brings the feelings back." "He will get a limited sentence today, but for me it is a life sentence.
It always has been and it always will be." Hartnell, aged 79, of Liverton Close, Exmouth, admitted two indecent assaults against the girl and four counts of indecency or indecent assault against the boy.
He was jailed for six years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court with a one year extended licence.
The judge told him: "It is clear from the victim personal statements that you have radically altered the course of their lives and your abuse has profoundly overshadowed their existence since then." "You kept silent and continued to live your life, respected and beloved by those around you didn't know any better, while the victims continued suffering in silence." Ms.
Kelly Scrivener, defending, said Hartnell had himself been a victim of abuse as a child and it led him to lose control of his life during the time when he committed all these offences.
She said he has been married for almost 50 years, has worked hard, and become a valued member of his church.
She added he is truly ashamed of his actions and now recognizes their abhorrence.
He and his wife are in poor health, with Hartnell having been treated for cancer and recently diagnosed with skin cancer.
An NSPCC spokesperson welcomed the sentencing and emphasized that abusers are not immune from justice, regardless of how much time has passed.
They highlighted the importance of victims speaking out, noting: "Empowering people with the confidence to speak out about abuse is crucial, and it’s why the NSPCC’s Schools Service offers its free Speak out Stay Safe programme to all primary schools, so that children know what abuse is and how to identify a trusted adult they can talk to who they know will act to keep them safe."
