Chelmsford: Man sentenced to 19 years for historic abuse

Our Quest team, who investigate non-recent child sexual abuse cases are continuing to secure justice for victims, following the sentence of a man yesterday.

Gary Staines, 66, of Marks Hall Lane in Margaret Roding appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on 1 December where he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for indecent offences which took place in the 90s, over a nine-year period.

The victim in this investigation bravely came to Essex Police in June 2020 to report her experiences which led to an investigation by Essex Police’s Quest team.

Staines had subjected the young victim to years of abuse and manipulation, beginning in 1991. Following complex enquiries, Staines was arrested and charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 and one count of incitement to commit an act of gross indecency.

His trial at Chelmsford Crown Court concluded on 1 November and after being found guilty, he appeared in court on 1 December, where he was sentenced to 19 years in prison with an extended licence of one year.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Jane Egerton said:

“I really commend the victim in this case, who demonstrated immense bravery during a long investigation.
“These are complex investigations but there is often a misconception that a report needs to be made right away and that there needs to be forensic evidence to get a result.
“This is not the case and we appreciate that victims of abuse may not be in the position to report right away.
“Staines manipulated the victim into thinking his actions were normal which is often the situation with cases such as these. We must not underestimate the detrimental effect that abuse can have on a victim. Victims are often worried that they will not be believed, or they may feel embarrassed or ashamed that they have not come forward before.
“Our Quest team are trained in dealing with investigations such as these and if you’re a victim, you will be believed and you will be supported.
“We also work closely with Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) who can provide specialist support which is totally independent from the police.”

Synergy Essex provides support and guidance for survivors of sexual and sexual abuse across Essex. The Essex Rape Crisis Partnership is formed of three organisations:

• Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse who cover mid and north Essex
• Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service who cover South and West Essex
• SOS Rape Crisis who cover Southend, Castle Point and Rochford
  Survivors can self-refer and receive emotional support, specialist sexual violence and abuse counseling and or specialist advocacy services, no matter when the sexual violence or abuse occurred. In addition to this, they also offer support to survivor’s loved ones.

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.