MAN JAILED FOR 13 YEARS FOR SEXUAL ABUSE
A man from west Suffolk has received a 13-year prison sentence after being accused of sexually abusing a young schoolboy, an act that deprived the child of his childhood.Judge David Pugh described Tommy Bean, aged 27, as having a “devastating effect” on the victim and causing long-lasting mental health issues.
The court was told that the victim, who was about ten or eleven when the abuse occurred, had shared that he resorted to alcohol and drugs to numb the feelings of pain and confusion.
It was also revealed that Bean had purchased gifts for the victim, which the judge interpreted as grooming behavior.
During a victim impact statement read at Ipswich Crown Court, the survivor said that the abuse had robbed him of his childhood, leaving him haunted by flashbacks.
He also disclosed that he had attempted to take his own life and had felt anger when he survived his hospital stay.
Bean, living on Faiers Close in Bury St Edmunds, pleaded guilty to two charges of oral rape of a child under 13, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and communicating sexually with a minor.
In addition to the prison term, he was handed a one-year extended license, ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
Advocating for Bean, Adam Norris mentioned that the crimes took place when his client was about 18 or 19 and was immature at that age.
Norris stated Bean feels “immeasurably sorry” for his actions and wished to apologize to the victim.
He also noted that Bean has changed significantly since the offenses committed over seven years ago.
