A MAN who subjected his victim to what police described as 'appalling childhood sexual abuse' has been jailed for 22 years.
Kenneth Murphy, 59, of Cumbria was recently found guilty of six counts of rape, assaulting a female aged 13 and over and inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.
He was sentenced this week at Teesside Crown Court and was also served a lifetime restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Police described Murphy as a 'manipulative individual who used intimidation to silence his victim'.
'Courageous survivor'
A report was made to Cleveland Police in 2020 on behalf of Murphy's victim, who was now an adult but had experienced such lasting trauma that they were reluctant to engage with police.
Murphy was subsequently interviewed by Cumbria Police in January 2021 but denied all accusations put to him.
In April 2021, the survivor said they were ready to provide vital evidence and Murphy was charged with the offences a year later on July 3, 2022.
He continued to deny the charges but was found guilty in September following a six-day trial.
Detective Sergeant Claire Baker from Cleveland Police's CAVA (Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adult) Team said she hoped the sentence could help the victim rebuild their life.
"The survivor was understandably traumatised and initially felt completely unable to support an investigation as they feared they just wouldn’t be believed," she said.
"I offered constant reassurance there’d be no pressure from us and our investigation could be carried out at a pace which would be comfortable and acceptable to them.
"I hope this courageous survivor can continue to rebuild their life safe in the knowledge that Murphy is now imprisoned."
Threats and intimidation
Meanwhile, CAVA Detective Chief Inspector Matt Murphy King revealed the lengths Murphy would go to in order to evade justice.
"Murphy continually refused to accept what he had done and he even made threats to seriously self-harm when officers initially spoke to him," he said.
"He's a manipulative individual who used intimidation to silence his victim when they were younger but their courage in supporting our investigation enabled us to charge him and to see him dealt with at court.
"This substantial sentence sends a very clear message to anyone who believes they can abuse vulnerable children and young people and not be held to account.
"I hope it will help the survivor going forward and I wish them all the very best as they continue to come to terms with what they’ve been through."
See More: Cleveland Police, Cumbria
