TIMOTHY ABBOTT, FORMER WILTON MAYOR, ADMITTED TO SEXUAL ABUSE OF 6-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN WILTON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Wilton, Timothy Abbott, a 55-year-old man with a history of public service, has confessed to the indecent assault of a young girl. The incident, which took place over a span of nearly three years, involved Abbott abusing a six-year-old girl while he was entrusted with babysitting her family. The assaults occurred between June 30, 1980, and August 1, 1983, during which Abbott was acting in a caregiving capacity for a family he was friendly with in Wilton.

It was only recently that the victim, now aged 34, came forward to report the abuse to the police in December of the previous year. Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the victim's age, her identity remains protected by law. The case was brought before Salisbury Crown Court, where Abbott pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 13. The court proceedings took place on a Friday, and Abbott’s guilty plea marked a significant development in the ongoing investigation.

Judge John Dixon, presiding over the case, ordered that Abbott’s bail conditions remain in effect. These conditions include a prohibition against having any unsupervised contact with girls under the age of 13. Additionally, Abbott is required to sign the sex offenders’ register, a legal obligation for individuals convicted of such offenses. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15, where the court will determine the appropriate punishment for Abbott’s crimes.

Timothy Abbott’s background in public service is notable. He served as the mayor of Wilton from 1995 to 1996 and has been a longstanding town councillor. Despite his criminal admission, Abbott sought to return to a position of leadership this year by putting his name forward for the mayoral role again, although he was ultimately not selected.

During the early 1980s, Abbott was also involved in political activities. In 1983, he stood in the general election against Robert Key. At that time, Abbott was known for his eccentric campaign style, including appearing in a djelaba smock with a traffic cone on his head, and he received a total of 86 votes under the banner of the ‘Don’t Know Party.’ He made another attempt at parliamentary politics in 1992 as an Independent candidate but garnered only 0.2 percent of the vote.

Abbott’s personal background includes training as a psychiatric nurse and working as a social worker in Salisbury. His long-standing role as a town councillor has kept him in the public eye, and the local authorities have been contacted regarding the case. Wiltshire Council, responsible for overseeing conduct among elected officials, confirmed that they had not received any formal complaints about Abbott’s conduct under the members’ code of conduct. They clarified that any complaint would need to demonstrate a breach of the national code for it to be considered valid.

It is also understood that even if Abbott receives a prison sentence, this would not automatically result in the loss of his seat on the town council, raising questions about the implications of his conviction on his political career and community standing.