AN ELDERLY woman has been jailed over the historic sexual abuse of a young boy.
Hazel Templeton, 79, from the Comber area, sexually assaulted the 12-year-old between July 1, 1984 and August 31, 1984.
At Laganside Court on Tuesday, she was sentenced to two years and nine months, with half of her sentence to be served on licence.
She was also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
"Hazel Templeton is a child predator who betrayed her position of trust, manipulated and took advantage of a young boy who trusted her," said Detective Constable Douglas of the PSNI.
Templeton was interviewed on April 25, 2023 and subsequently charged following a report to the Public Prosecution Service.
She initially denied the allegations and attempted to place blame on the reporting man, who was a child at the time.
However, Templeton later pled guilty to four counts of indecent assault on a male and three counts of inciting gross indecency with a child.
'No shame'
Speaking after the sentencing, DC Douglas revealed the impact the abuse had on the victim, adding that the stigma male abuse victims feel may prevent people coming forward.
"She preyed on him, groomed him and sexually exploited him for her own gratification," he said.
"As a result of this abuse the victim has suffered with mental health issues his whole adult life.
"While bringing this crime to the attention of the police required a concerted effort on his behalf, we are satisfied with today's verdict.
"Even though these crimes occurred more than 40 years ago, we have shown today that the PSNI are capable and prepared to listen to witnesses in order to pursue cases of non-recent child sexual abuse.
"There is still a societal stigma surrounding male victims of abuse, especially that of a sexual nature.
"I hope today's court outcome will demonstrate that young boys are just as vulnerable and that there is no shame for them to carry.
"Suffering in silence is never the answer, abuse is never the victim's fault."
'She stole my childhood'
Under anonymity, Templeton's victim also revealed how difficult it was for him to cope with the abuse and how he struggled for almost four decades before reporting it.
"For so many years all I felt was absolute confusion. The basis of any childhood is that you can trust adults," he said in a statement.
"The need to keep a secret of that magnitude from friends and family led to me shutting down. I become paranoid that people would think less of me, especially as I entered adulthood.
"The teenage years can be challenging in the best of circumstances. However, it's a sad truth that children who are abused can find the challenge unbearable.
"She stole my childhood, she is charged with abuse offences but I see it as theft.
"My message to young boys and men today is that you are not alone, the humiliation that you might imagine is probably just that, imagination.
"Consider how you might react if a friend came to you with the same problem, how would you treat them? There are people out there who will treat you with compassion.
"You shouldn't listen to the perpetrator as I did. You are not complicit in what happened to you.
"You deserve to be heard. Tell someone and see what they say to you, you may be surprised at their reaction.
"Living alone, in silence, with terrifying secrets only hinders your life. I am speaking from experience."
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