Hailsham Paedophile, Gerald Highgate, 83, of East Sussex, was found guilty of 30 counts of non-recent child sexual abuse at Guildford Crown Court after preying on young boys during his adult life.
Victims of a serial child abuser have been lauded for their bravery after the man who ‘took away their childhoods’ was sentenced to ten years in jail.
Gerald Highgate utilised his position of trust at Surrey sports and social clubs dating back to the 1960s to acquire access to young boys and spend time alone with them. He would occasionally offer them rides in his automobile and then assault them while driving. He frequently gave them gifts like nice footwear, cigarettes, or money, which they subsequently realised were a technique of purchasing their silence.
One of his victims claimed that Gerald Highgate took away his youth and had such an impact on his life that he eventually changed his name to distance himself from his prior persona.
Another of Gerald Highgate’s victims spoke out in court about the horror of having to live with what had transpired. He stated, “I haven’t been able to tell anyone or speak about what you did to me. It was a secret I could never reveal. When the cops arrived, I knew what they were going to say before they said anything.
“At last, I’ve had the chance to speak up and disclose what happened to me when I was a little boy. I can now move on with my life, knowing that you have been exposed for what you are: a predatory paedophile.”
Three officers from Surrey Police’s Complex Abuse Unit, Detective Sergeant Ellen McLachlan, Detective Constables Katherine Peters, and Tom Gilbert, received Judges’ Commendations for the outstanding quality of their investigation and expressed their hope that this would encourage others to come forward.
DS McLachlan stated, “Reading the impact statements from Gerald Highgate’s victims was extremely moving.” If you were abused as a child, discussing something you may have kept hidden for many years, possibly never telling anyone, may seem impossible. I hope this case demonstrates to anyone who has been a victim of this type of crime that they can speak up, that we are here to support them, and that it is never too late for us to do everything in our ability to apprehend abusers.”
Gerald Highgate was found guilty of a total of 30 charges against eight victims. The charges were:
26 counts of Indecent Assault on a male person, contrary to section 15(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
Four counts of Indecency with a Child, contrary to section 1(1) of the Indecency with Children Act 1960.
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.