RETIRED SOLDIER CONVICTED OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE SENTENCED TO OVER SIX YEARS
A retired individual with a distinguished military background has been sentenced for sexually abusing a child.Philip Meekings of Stockton appeared before Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday to receive his sentence after admitting to the charges.
Prosecutor Christine Egerton explained that the offenses occurred on Teesside several years prior.
The court was told that the victim, who was of primary school age at the time, was left deeply traumatised by the experience.
In a statement submitted to the court, the victim expressed feelings of deep sadness and fear, revealing that they had been too young to disclose the abuse, which led to feelings of being overwhelmed and ongoing anxiety around men.
The survivor added that they had lived with the emotional burden of secrecy, describing a constant cycle of distress.
The defendant, 72-year-old Meekings, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault involving a child under 13 and had no prior criminal record.
His defence lawyer, Eleanor Durdy, recounted Meekings’ distinguished service in the Royal Anglian Regiment, which he joined at age 15 in 1966, and his subsequent 21-year career as a security officer, during which he faced armed robberies.
After losing his job, he worked for a parcel delivery firm before retiring in 2016.
Up until his arrest, he was the full-time carer for his wife, who now resides in a care home.
The court imposed a total prison sentence of six years, with an additional one-year licence period, and issued a restraining order, Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and mandatory sex offender notification requirements.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Elliott Shute stressed the importance of the case’s severity, noting that the imprisonment and protective measures are designed to protect both the victim and the public from what was described as the defendant’s potential predatory behaviour.
He underscored the need for victims of sexual abuse to feel believed and supported.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Murphy-King added that the case involved a vulnerable young victim, reaffirming police commitment to supporting victims of sexual offences regardless of when the crimes took place and encouraging anyone with information to come forward confidentially.
