A Havant man who sexually abused two girls has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday (24 November), 70-year-old Trevor McCurdy, of Almond Close, was sentenced having been found guilty by a jury of a number of child sex offences.
The charges relate to a number of incidents that took place across 2020 and 2021, as well as some dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The first report was made to police in March 2021, which resulted in the launch of an investigation by Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT). McCurdy was arrested and later charged with four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16.
McCurdy originally went on trial in May of this year, having pleaded guilty to two of the offences and not guilty to the rest of the charges against him. Two days into his trial he absconded from the court, and was found guilty by the jury in his absence a number of days later.
Officers began work to locate McCurdy, which included appeals to the public for information about his whereabouts, and he was located in Brighton in October, where he was arrested and remanded into custody.
He has now been sentenced to 13 years in prison and given a life time Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Following the sentence, Detective Constable Marie Todd, who led the investigation, said: “Trevor McCurdy abused the trust of his young victims in the worst possible way.
“The bravery and courage they have shown during the course of this investigation and trial is remarkable and without them McCurdy would not be behind bars today. While it will never take away the pain and trauma of what they have been through, I hope that this sentence goes some way towards helping them move forward with their lives. McCurdy showed no remorse for the pain and suffering that he caused to his young victims.
“I want to appeal to anyone who has been affected by this type of abuse to come forward and talk to us, and be reassured that you don’t have to suffer in silence.”
“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child abuse, or has any information about this type of abuse, to contact police on 101.”
Alternatively, contact Child Line on 0800 11 11, or if you are an adult who has been affected, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.
