Countywide: Quest team secure record conviction

Essex Police’s Quest Team have secured a conviction against a man who sexually abused four girls 57 years ago.

Charles Brown, 75 of Hogarth Drive, Shoeburyness appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday, 14 November where he was found guilty of multiple indecent assaults against young girls.

Essex Police were approached in 2019 by four victims of sexual abuse, who reported that Brown had assaulted them between 1966 and 1994.

Brown was arrested and refused to comment to all questions whilst in custody. Despite this, he was charged with eight counts of indecent assault against on a girl under the age of 16.

Following a week-long trial, he was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault against a girl under the age of 16. The jury found him not guilty of three counts.

He will appear at Basildon Crown Court in January 2024 for sentencing.

Detective Superintendent Neil Pudney said “This is the most historic investigation we have secured a conviction for and proves that there is no time limit when it comes to investigating sexual offences.

“Around a third of all sexual offences reported to us are non-recent and the detectives in our Quest team are dedicated and specialised in investigating these.

“It doesn’t matter how long ago it happened, these offences stay with their survivors, and we are committing to getting justice for them.

“I’d encourage anyone who is a victim of a sexual offence but possibly hasn’t found the strength to report yet to get in touch with us. Even if you don’t want to report yet, we work with a number of fantastic support services who can provide tailored advice.”

Essex Police’s Quest team investigates cases where the victim was a child at the time of the abuse but is now an adult.

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 and 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 visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/