Clacton: Man jailed for 32 years for abusing three children

A man convicted of sexually abusing three children thanks to work by our specialist detectives has been jailed for more than 30 years.

Graham Carson, 68, assaulted the children between 2011 and 2014, telling one of them ‘wish you were 16’ while telling another it would be ‘their secret’.

The offences came to light when they were reported to us in August 2020 and the victims have been supported by specialist officers.

One of the children told our officers that since the assaults they had started to suffer nightmares and experiences trouble sleeping at night.

Carson, of The Drive, Clacton, had denied 18 offences including multiple counts of rape, but was convicted on 30 September following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

At the same court on Thursday 8 December he was sentenced to 32 years in jail, which is made up of an initial 26-year sentence and a six-year extension as he was ruled by the judge to be a “dangerous offender”.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Reuben Brame said:

“The three victims in this case have been through an unimaginable ordeal at the hands of Graham Carson and have demonstrated incredible strength in reporting what happened to them.
“The impact of Carson’s abuse cannot be overstated and those affected live with the memory of what’s happened to them every day.
“I am pleased our work has been able put him behind bars and while no sentence will ever undo his crimes, I hope it will help his victims move forward.
“If you have been a victim of a sexual crime, I want you to know that you can come forward and have the confidence that you will be believed, and the offence investigated.
“We have a range of specially trained detectives and staff who investigate sexual offences and support those involved.
“We use new measures to better protect victims and work closely with the CPS to improve the chance of a case going to trial.
“And we work with partners to ensure victims can get ongoing support.
“If you’ve been a victim of a sexual offence, call us.”

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex:

• CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse),
• SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service
• Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.

For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.

For more information about how to get support, visit the Synergy Essex website.

Visit the Sexual Abuse Investigation Team web page to find out more about how we help victims of sexual abuse, keep people safe and catch criminal.