Ex-Brigade man’s child sex shame

Mar 29 2008 by Gareth Lightfoot, Evening Gazette

A FORMER Boys’ Brigade captain is today facing a long prison sentence after he was found guilty of a string of child sex offences from up to 40 years ago.

Kenneth Charles Williams, 68, was unanimously convicted by a jury at Teesside Crown Court yesterday of 11 charges of indecent assault and one other serious sexual offence.

A victim of Williams today spoke of how the abuse had cast a shadow over his life and urged other victims of sexual abuse not to suffer in silence.

The repeated sex crimes against two boys date back up to 40 years, when ex-steel worker Williams was living in Middlesbrough.

The first complainant, now a married dad in his forties, told the Gazette today: “I’m absolutely elated.

“I was just so pleased when I heard those verdicts read out.

“It’s taken such a long time. It’s been on my mind for years and years. It’s just one of those things you try to put to the back of your mind. You try to block it out.”

Williams, of Scalby Square, Thornaby, denied all of the offences.

He claimed the victims made up the allegations, but could not explain why. He said: “It’s just not feasible, I’m not that kind of person.”

But one of his victims told the Gazette how the assaults which terrified him were dismissed by Williams as “a bit of fun”.

He said Williams did not meet his gaze across the courtroom as the two came face-to-face for the first time in decades.

“From the beginning I’ve wanted to see him in court,” he added.

“I wanted him to look at me in the witness box. He wouldn’t turn. He didn’t look at me once.

“I wanted him to look me in the eye and he couldn’t.

“It did hit me hard in the stomach when I first saw him. But I came to tell the truth.”

He told his wife years ago of the abuse, but did not make an official complaint until last year.

As a youngster he felt frightened, intimidated and confused, then as an adult embarrassed to speak out. “As you grow up you don’t want to talk to anybody about it. Even with my wife it’s difficult,” he said.

But he realised his past traumas “spoiled” his family, inhibiting him from showing affection to his children for fear of it being misconstrued.

He pleaded with others in a similar position to report abuse to police. He said: “To be perfectly honest it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be because of the way the police handled it.”

He thanked Detective Constable Sharon Husband, from Cleveland Police child protection unit, for discreet, professional and understanding handling of the case, and court staff and his family for help and support.

He added that Williams’ testimony was “absolutely ridiculous”.

“Your dream would be for him to stand up and say, ‘I did it,’ in an ideal world. But that wasn’t going to happen.”

Williams used to be the captain of a Boys’ Brigade company attached to a Middlesbrough church and was responsible for the welfare of about 100 boys aged eight to 19.

The second complainant was in his teens when Williams repeatedly indecently assaulted him, once taking him into Linthorpe cemetery and carrying out a serious sexual assault.

Judge George Moorhouse told Williams: “These are very serious charges and I can assure you, you will be receiving a lengthy prison sentence.”

Williams was allowed conditional bail until he is sentenced in about three weeks’ time. He must register as a sex offender.

Source

As a former boy (and officer) in the boys Brigade, it makes me quite sad to read about this. But I’m also proud that this seems to be the exceptionin the brigade.

Will