JUSTICE has finally caught up with a member of the Salvation Army who sexually abused a young boy while he was wearing his uniform.

Raymond Bennett lured the youngster to a hut in a Darlington park where he worked before carrying out the sustained assault after showing the boy images in a pornographic magazine in mid-70s.

The 72-year-old pervert was finally caught when his victim spotted him while he was shopping in the town centre and all his trauma came flooding back, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said the man fled home with his wife before he told her of what happened to him as a child and the police were called.

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“All of a sudden he went white as a sheet, he was distressed and told her he had to get out of town. His wife had never seen him like this before,” he added.

The victim told officers that he had been playing in North Lodge Park with his brothers before he got separated from them and Bennett found him wandering around the park and lured him to the hut.

The Northern Echo: Raymond BennettRaymond Bennett

Mr Turton added: “A man, who at first because of his clothing was a policeman’ said ‘come with me sunny’ and took him to the park keeper’s hut.

“The man sat him on his knee and put his arm around him, he produced a pornographic magazine from a drawer and asked him ‘if he liked it’ – he then put his hands up his shorts and started playing with his penis.”

His ordeal only came to an end when another man entered the hut and the youngster ran away before returning home.

The victim told police that he saw his attacker three weeks later when he looked out of his window and saw him marching with the Salvation Army band.

The court heard how the abuse had a devastating impact on his life and affected his relationship with his brothers who he blamed for losing him in the park.

Bennett, of Daryngton Close, Darlington, was convicted of abusing the young boy following a trial at Teesside Crown Court for indecent assault on the five-year-old boy.

Paul Newcombe, in mitigation, said his client was now almost housebound due to his failing health and was unlikely to reoffend as he urged the judge to pass a suspended sentence.

Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced Bennett to three and a half years in custody.

“You took your opportunity to target this young boy who was alone and vulnerable, although you were a stranger to him, you led him to this hut and then you sexually assaulted him,” he said.

“This went on for a significant time and was only interrupted by good fortune when someone else came into the hut.”

Bennett was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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