Sex offender, 71, jailed for crimes against children after survivors bravely came forward

Following a trial at Stafford Crown Court, Sydney Showell was jailed for 23 years and five months after being found guilty of 14 different charges on Tuesday, May 7.

Staffordshire Police said the 71-year-old, of Brizlincote Street in Stapenhill in Burton-on-Trent, had abused the children a number of years ago before they came forward and told the force what happened.

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "Once he was reported to us, he was questioned in custody and denied all of the allegations.

"We worked hard to gather evidence and support the survivors as much as possible, eventually securing charges against Showell in March last year and sending him to court."

Showell was found guilty of two counts of rape of a boy, four counts of sexual assault of a child, five counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count each of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity with a child and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

He was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Gemma Szalapski, who worked on the case and is based in the Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) unit, said: “This result would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the tremendous courage and bravery of the survivors in coming forward and telling us what Showell had done.

“We want to send a clear message to survivors that you will be listened to and supported, no matter how long ago the offences may have been.

“Our specialist teams can support you, gather the evidence and bring those responsible for these acts to justice.”

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "If you’ve been affected by child sexual abuse and would like to speak to us, please call 101 or message us using Live Chat on our website.

"You can also report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Tell them what you know, not who you are."