The Offender Database reported that Michael Eckersley, Warrington Paedophile and Sex Offender, an 86-year-old man, has received a 16-year prison sentence for historical sexual offences against a minor in Wells.
Michael Eckersley, currently residing at Coldstream Close, Warrington, was sentenced to imprisonment on Tuesday, 4 November, at Taunton Crown Court, convened at Worle, after being unanimously convicted of 14 offences following his trial that concluded on 4 September.
He received a nine-year jail sentence for the principal offence of indecent assault (oral rape) against a child, along with an additional five years for seven other counts of indecent assault against a child. He will serve an extra two years in prison for six counts of child indecency.
Michael Eckersley’s campaign of abuse extended over several years during his residence in Wells, commencing in the 1980s.
The victim, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, reported the offences to a different police force, which implemented all requisite measures for victim support before transferring the case to Avon and Somerset Police in 2021.
Michael Eckersley was voluntarily interviewed on December 3, 2021. The investigation, conducted by a specialised investigator, was intricate due to the elapsed time, which complicated the tracing of witnesses; however, they were able to recall details from the period of the offence with clarity.
The court heard how Michael Eckersley would ‘lavish’ his victim with gifts in the hope it would ‘buy his acceptance and silence’.
However, his victim came forward and bravely reported the offences against him and has revealed his ‘anger and heartbreak’ in a victim impact statement.
The statement, which was read in court on his behalf by prosecutor Virginia Cornwall, said: “Michael Eckersley gave me presents and gifts; however, this all came at a sickening price – sexual favours.
“For six years, the abuse broke me. I had no one to confide in, so I carried the burden silently. I became withdrawn, occasionally self-harming, and unable to understand the psychological damage that was being done to me.
“I am angry, heartbroken, and finally letting out tears that I have held inside for years. As a child, I was happy and adventurous, despite a rough start.
“The last four years have brought it all back, and I have had to go through it all over, as it still feels like it happened yesterday.
“I am angry for the boy I was and for the life I could have had.”
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