A Surbiton man who sexually abused two girls, aged between 10 and 15, in the 1980s was jailed at Kingston Crown Court yesterday.
David Whitfield, 64, of Grand Avenue, Surbiton had previously been found guilty at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced, as follows:
Victim one
- 10 years each for two counts of rape on a child aged under 15 years
- Six years each for two counts of attempted rape on a child aged under 15 years
- 18 months for one count of indecency with a child
- Two years for one count of indecent assault on a child aged between 10 and 15 years
- 18 months for one count of indecent assault on a child aged between 10 and 15 yearsAll sentences are to be served concurrently.
Victim two
- One year each for three counts of indecent assault on a child aged between 10 and 15 years to be served concurrently, but consecutive to the sentences for the first victim.
He was also given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Detective Constable James Carpenter, the investigating officer for the Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “The victims in this case showed great courage and strength in providing accounts to police and progressing through the criminal justice system to a trial.
“We worked very hard to pull together various pieces of evidence to send the case to trial despite over 30 years passing since the offences happened.
“No matter how hard or difficult, we will seek out the truth and we encourage victims, no matter the length of time that has passed, to come forward.”
In May 2013 detectives were contacted by a woman who claimed that she had been a victim of indecent assault in the early 1980s. Subsequent investigations led officers to a second victim.
The two women named Whitfield as their abuser and stated that he had ingratiated himself with their families before concocting ways to spend time on his own with them in order to abuse them.
Whitfield was arrested on May 31 2013. Throughout his interviews with police, Whitfield continued to deny the attacks which took place between 1981 and 1985.
He was charged on January 17 2014.
