“Thank you for trusting us with your story and trusting us to get you justice”
The expert detectives’ efforts have resulted in the incarceration of a former football coach, who assaulted boys five decades ago, for over seven years.
Derek Hinchliffe was employed for Southend United during the 1970s when the charges occurred.
Specialist detectives from our Quest team, tasked with investigating historical child sexual offences, commenced the investigation in May 2017.
It was determined that he had sexually molested four youngsters over several years.
The thorough investigation conducted by Detective Sergeant Shirley Cole resulted in Hinchliffe being charged with 11 charges of indecent assault.
The 82-year-old resident, Derek Hinchliffe, of Ingfield Avenue, Ossett, West Yorkshire, was unanimously convicted on 6 February of this year after a 14-day trial at Basildon Crown Court.
Today, he received a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison at the same court.
DS Cole said:
“I want to pay tribute to the bravery demonstrated by the survivors in this case in coming forward and telling us what happened to them.
“Thank you for trusting us with your story and trusting us to get you justice.
“Derek Hinchliffe was a prolific offender and preyed upon young boys for his own sexual gratification.
“He will now spend the foreseeable future behind bars and I hope the survivors are able to use this sentence to move forward.
“This case shows it is never too late to get justice, even if the offences took place decades ago.
“If you report a crime you will be listened to and supported, and we will investigate.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.