MAURICE WILLIS FROM POTTERS BAR SENTENCED FOR HISTORIC SEXUAL OFFENCES IN LONDON AND HERTFORDSHIRE

In a significant case that has spanned several decades, Maurice Willis, a resident of Potters Bar, has been convicted and sentenced for multiple historic sexual offences committed against young girls in London and Hertfordshire. The offences, which date back to 1965, have finally been brought to justice after a lengthy investigation.

On Friday, February 7, at Southwark Crown Court, Willis, aged 84 and residing on Shillitoe Avenue, was sentenced to a term of eight years in prison. The court found him guilty of six counts of indecent assault involving a girl under the age of 14, as well as two counts of indecent assault against a female under 16. These charges stem from allegations that Willis engaged in abusive behavior over a prolonged period, targeting two victims whose ages ranged from five to 15 years old at the time of the abuse.

The investigation was initiated by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit in March 2017. The inquiry was triggered when one of the victims, who had endured abuse during her childhood, came forward to report her experiences to the authorities. Following this, a second victim, now an adult woman in her 30s, was approached by investigators and agreed to assist in the case, providing further details that corroborated the allegations.

Willis was interviewed by police in September 2017. During the interview, he denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite his denials, the evidence against him was compelling enough to lead to formal charges. On July 5, 2019, Willis was formally charged with eight counts of indecent assault involving girls under the age of 16. He appeared in court on August 30, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, after a trial, the jury found him guilty of all counts.

As part of his sentence and ongoing restrictions, Willis has been issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with individuals under the age of 18. Additionally, he will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the community from further harm.