SERIAL CHILD ABUSER MARTIN WHITWORTH OF BLACKBURN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON

In July 2014, Martin Edward Whitworth, a 59-year-old from Lynwood Road, Blackburn, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of numerous historic sexual offences. The court heard that among the abuse was the rape of a five-year-old boy in the grounds of a church, police confirmed.

Whitworth was found guilty of 19 charges that spanned a period from 1968 to 1976, when he was between 13 and 19 years old. His former employers, Hobkirk Sewing Machines, expressed their shock, stating they were ‘gobsmacked’ upon learning of his past.

Throughout the trial at Preston Crown Court, Whitworth admitted to three counts of indecent assault on a male, three counts of gross indecency with a child, and another charge involving possession of indecent photographs. The jury also convicted him of an additional three counts of indecent assault on a male and nine counts of buggery.

Police described Whitworth as a ‘regular churchgoer’ who had worked at Hobkirk Sewing Machines in Blackburn for over 40 years, eventually rising to the position of shop manager. Mark Hobkirk, the managing director, commented, “Mr Whitworth’s charges came as a complete shock to us. We were totally unaware of such activities in his personal life.”

During the trial, the judge instructed the jury to find Whitworth not guilty of four other counts. He was ultimately sentenced last month. Hobkirk, who watched the proceedings from the public gallery, added, “Martin has been a loyal friend and an employee of ours for more than 40 years and was a very good salesman. All of this was a complete and utter shock to us. We knew he was homosexual, and we had no problem with that, but the fact he did all this years ago was a shock.

“As soon as he was found guilty, we dismissed him. We want to make it clear that Hobkirk Sewing Machines was unaware of his actions, and even if he hadn’t gone to prison, he would not have continued working here. We are gobsmacked.”

Whitworth originally joined the company as a weekend assistant in 1972 while still at school and built a respected career in the industry. He was arrested and charged last November, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire McEnery of Lancashire police’s public prosecution unit emphasized the force’s commitment to investigating historic abuse allegations, stating, “The abuse took place both in the church and in other locations. Lancashire Constabulary will continue to pursue such cases despite the passage of time. This conviction proves there is no hiding place for offenders.”