TERENCE CROUGHTON'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN WARRINGTON: CHILD RAPE AND PAST OFFENSES REVEALED

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Warrington, Terence Croughton, a 67-year-old man with a long history of sexual offenses, was convicted of heinous crimes involving a young boy. The incident, which took place nearly three decades ago, was brought back into the spotlight after the victim, now an adult, confronted Croughton in a local Co-op store, leading to a series of revelations about his past and the impact on his life.

According to court proceedings, Croughton, then in his late 30s, targeted a five-year-old boy who was watching a football match on the playing fields of English Martyrs High School in Warrington. The child was lured away from the safety of the sports field by Croughton, who then led him to an out-of-sight location, which court officials believe was most likely a changing room. There, Croughton forcibly made the young boy perform a sexual act, during which he grabbed the child's head and inflicted scratches on his back. The trauma of the assault was profound, and the boy returned home visibly distressed.

His mother was initially incredulous when he told her about the incident, but she quickly contacted the police, providing a detailed description of his attacker. Despite this, no immediate prosecution followed, and for many years, the boy had to live with the knowledge of his assault. He encountered Croughton multiple times afterward, including seeing him in his van around Warrington and even once spotting him during a holiday, which only compounded his distress.

It was not until 2018 that the victim, now an adult, decided to take action. After entering a Co-op store and recognizing Croughton, he approached him and asked if he remembered what he had done to him. The court heard that Croughton responded by laughing at him, a reaction that deeply affected the victim. Believing Croughton to be employed at Greenwoods furniture store in Warrington, the victim contacted the store under false pretenses to verify his identity before reporting the matter to the police the following year.

The victim's mother revealed that he had confided in her about the abuse over the years, but she had encouraged him to try and move past it. The trauma had left lasting scars; he suffered from depression and anxiety, feeling vulnerable and distrustful of others. He avoided places where he thought Croughton might be present and was prescribed anti-depressants to cope with the emotional toll. The victim expressed his feelings in court, stating, “The fact he laughed in my face belittled it and made me feel awful again.”

Terence Croughton, of Capesthorne Road, Orford, Warrington, denied any wrongdoing and accused the victim of lying. However, he later admitted to indecent assault after being identified at an identity parade. His criminal record is extensive, including convictions for indecent exposures in 1977, 1979, and 1980, involving flashing at boys near a canal. In 1981, he was convicted of gross indecency with a child and indecent exposure after performing a sex act and touching boys in a park.

His most serious convictions came in 2001, when he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for indecent assault and rape involving two victims from the late 1990s. One victim was a boy aged eight or nine at a flat where Croughton performed a sex act, and another was a boy aged between eight and eleven, whom he raped after tying him to a bed frame. Judge David Aubrey, QC, emphasized the severity of Croughton’s actions, stating, “You say that to be so, but at the time of interview he was completely and utterly denying the offences.”

While Croughton’s legal team argued that he should avoid prison due to health issues and the potential difficulty of incarceration, the judge was unequivocal. He highlighted the lifelong damage inflicted on the victims, especially the one who confronted Croughton in Warrington. The judge remarked, “Your past has caught up with you. Regrettably and understandably, as far as the past is concerned in respect of your victim, it lives with him, it still lives with him and it lives with him every single day of his life. In truth, you destroyed his childhood and you destroyed his innocence.”

Judge Aubrey further condemned Croughton’s predatory behavior, noting his “unhealthy interest in young boys” and the fact that he had deliberately targeted his victim before taking him to a secluded area. The court heard that even a brief period of abduction or assault can have lifelong repercussions, with the judge stating, “Just imagine the apprehension, the anxiety, the isolation, albeit for such a short period of time, that he would have had. That period of time, however short it may well have been, has lived with him since the early 1990s and will live with him forevermore.”

Ultimately, Croughton was sentenced to five years in prison, with an additional year on extended license. This sentence ensures he will serve at least half of his term—two and a half years—before being eligible for parole, contingent upon assessments of his risk to the public. The court also ordered him to register as a sex offender for life and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing threat he poses.