Historic Abuse: Man jailed for ‘catalogue of sexual abuse’ against young boys

A 70-year-old man who carried out a “catalogue of sexual abuse” against young boys over three decades has been jailed.

Keith Lockwood, of Park Lane, Keighley was described as a ‘serial abuser’ by detectives, after carrying out offences during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

This week, Leeds Crown Court heard how Lockwood committed sexual offences, including gross indecency with a child and indecent assault against seven boys under the age of 16 over a 30-year

He has now been jailed for 23 years and put on the Sex Offenders register for life after being found guilty of 23 non-recent sexual offences.

DC Gilly Hodds, who investigated the case, said:

“Lockwood was found guilty by a unanimous guilty verdict of an appalling catalogue of offending against victims who were young and vulnerable.

“He forced those victims to relive the dreadful offences he committed against them by putting them through the ordeal of a trial, and I am pleased for them that the jurors saw through his attempts to evade answering for what he has done.”

She added: “Victims in this case demonstrated exceptional bravery in coming forward and supporting both the police and CPS in taking action against a man who has been a serial abuser of children whilst in a position of trust.”

Historic abuse – what is a historic abuse claim?

If you are a survivor of non-recent abuse, whether that be sexual abuse or physical assault, you may be entitled to claim compensation for the impact it had on your health.

A claim can be made for the physical impact to your health but also, an often more importantly, it can also be made for any damage it may have caused to your mental health. Compensation can be claimed for personal injury and also any financial losses you may have suffered as a result of your ill health.

Where might historic abuse occur?

Historic abuse is also known as “non-recent abuse” or “non-accidental abuse” and relates to any physical, sexual or emotional attack inflicted on a person. These attacks may have taken place in a single incident or be repeated over some time.

Historic abuse commonly occurs when the attacker holds a position of power over the victim.

Institutional child sexual abuse

In some cases, if the abuse has occurred within an organisational setting, for example, an after-school club or within a religious setting, this might be referred to as Institutional child sexual abuse.

Some examples of this include the following (however, this list is not exhaustive).

• School staff attacking pupils
• Young people abused in children’s homes
• Football coaches preying on children in their coaching teams
• Youth group leaders singling out children (often on trips away from home)
• Religious staff attacking children
• Doctors or hospital staff

Historic Abuse – should I make a claim?

If you would like to discuss making a claim, Oakwood Solicitors offers a free assessment and would be happy to discuss this with you at no charge.

However, it is our duty to inform you that litigation can be a stressful process and may have an adverse impact on your health.

We are not doctors, so we cannot give you medical advice, but are under a duty to advise you that pursuing a claim will be a reminder of the trauma of the abuse whilst the claim is ongoing and this may have an negative impact on your mental health.

Please also note that the only outcome to a successful claim is financial compensation. You may see the litigation as a mechanism for obtaining answers but the majority of cases settle out of Court, which may result in many of your questions remaining unanswered.

You may be advised by your doctors that by revisiting the trauma of the abuse you suffered may set you back in your recovery. The decision to proceed must be your own, in conjunction with your medical advisors.

If you agree to proceed forward with a claim, then our team will support you as best as they can and try and make the process as stress free as possible.

Further reading

Historic abuse claims – Oakwood Solicitors

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