Middlesbrough child rapist likely to die in prison

Melvyn Paterson sexually assaulted the two young girls on several occasions before his abuse was brought to the attention of the police.

The 72-year-old child rapist was convicted of a catalogue of offences following a trial in the summer.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the seriously ill defendant has been receiving treatment for cancer while on remand for the sickening offences.

Victim impact statements from the two victims revealed the devastating impact the abuse they suffered as children had affected their adult lives.

“He took advantage of me when I was a child,” the first woman said.

“If he knew it was wrong, he would not have put me through years of hurt and he would have admitted what he did.”

And the second victim said the defendant had no idea how much his abuse had impacted on her life after she slipped into drug addiction to cope.

David Povall, prosecuting, applied for a restraining order to protect the victims from any future contact with the defendant.

Melvyn Paterson (Image: Cleveland Police)

Paterson, of Cottingham Drive, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of ten charges, including rape, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Christopher Morrison, mitigating, said his client was receiving treatment for cancer whilst on remand in custody and there is little prospect of long-term recovery.

Recorder Paul Reid sentenced the pensioner to a total of 19 years for all charges after telling one of the victim’s the abuse was "their little secret".

He said: “One victim didn’t want a police investigation because she felt disgusted with herself. It’s tragic that in so many of these cases that is just the reaction of the victim – to blame themselves, to feel guilt, to feel fear that no one will believe them.”

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

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The judge issued the defendant with a life-long restraining order to protect both women.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Sergeant Natasha Vaughan, of Cleveland Police, said: “Firstly I’d like to praise the victim-survivors for coming forward and for completely supporting the police investigation. This was a very brave thing to do, especially when Paterson continued to deny what he had done.

“Paterson’s refusal to accept responsibility for his actions means they had to relive their trauma and give evidence at court.

“Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty of extremely serious offences and I hope this will help the victim-survivors as they continue to process what happened to them.”