MAN WHO CARRIED OUT A STRING OF SEX OFFENCES THREE DECADES AGO HAS BEEN JAILED
A man involved in multiple sexual offenses committed over thirty years ago has been sentenced to prison, largely due to the courage of his victim.Steven Hinchan, who attacked his teenage victim during the mid-1990s, inflicted a series of sexual assaults upon her.
For most of her life, she carried the trauma caused by Hinchan's actions but ultimately decided to speak out and reported the abuse to authorities.
An investigation was initiated in 2021 by the Force’s Safeguarding Department.
Hinchan, aged 56, was called to a police station for questioning but initially denied the allegations.
Nonetheless, he was subsequently charged with five counts of indecent assault, with the crimes having occurred before the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act in 2003.
Throughout the proceedings, Hinchan maintained his innocence and faced trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
In November, the jury convicted him of all the charges.
On January 17, 2025, Hinchan, residing at Grosvenor Court in Newcastle, received a prison sentence of seven and a half years.
He will also be subject to lifelong registration as a sex offender and is legally barred from contacting his victim.
