A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison for a number of non-recent child sex offences spanning several years in Portsmouth and Havant

Stephen McDermott, of Frosthole Close, Fareham, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 4 February) having previously pleaded guilty to the following offences:

Eight counts of indecent assault on a male

Two counts of assault by penetrationTwo counts of sexual assault on a child under 13One count of indecency with a child

One count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

The court heard how McDermott abused three boys on a number of occasions between 1983 and 2005.

The abuse came to the attention of police when one of the victims reported it in May 2020. Two further victims came forward shortly afterwards.

An investigation was launched and McDermott was arrested and later charged by officers. He pleaded guilty to the offences at a court appearance on January 10th this year.

He has now been sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison and given a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order, which prohibits him from making any contact with children under 16 and using electronic devices to contact children.

Detective Constable Hannah Owen of Hampshire Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, who led the investigation, said: “Firstly, I would like to commend the men involved in this case for their courage and bravery in telling us what happened to them when they were young.

“We know how hard it is to come forward and report these offences, whether they have taken place recently or in the past.

“We are committed to getting justice for victims and have specially trained officers to support them through the process.

“We hope that this sentence today helps the victims in this case begin to move forward with their lives and that it shows how seriously we take reports of this nature. We will always investigate thoroughly and treat such reports with the utmost seriousness, no matter when they occurred.

“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak to someone in confidence.”

As a survivor of sexual abuse, you’re entitled to support whether you report the crime or not. You can access different types of support depending on how you’re feeling and what you decide to do next.

You can visit https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/ to see the support on offer.

Alternatively, anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood or is concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline confidentially on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.