In June 2023, an Essex Police officer assured a victim of sexual abuse, by the Jaywick Paedophile James Gibbs, that he would obtain justice for her prior to her death.
We have now fulfilled that pledge, as James Gibbs was incarcerated after being convicted of historical sexual offences.
James Gibbs was sentenced to four years in jail at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, 22 May, after being convicted of gross indecency offences.
In 2021, an inquiry was initiated by Essex Police’s Quest Team following a woman’s courageous disclosure of having been raped and sexually assaulted by James Gibbs over 40 years prior.
Following the conduct of preliminary interviews with the victim, James Gibbs was apprehended in February 2021 and subsequently charged with two counts of gross indecency.
James Gibbs entered a plea of not guilty to both charges.
The victim tragically succumbed prior to the commencement of the trial; nevertheless, before her death, Detective Sergeant Ed Massey visited her in a hospice and vowed to exert his utmost efforts to secure justice on her behalf. [Editor’s Note – That is very cool]
DS Massey collaborated with the Crown Prosecution Service to advocate for the trial’s progression, use a pre-recorded interview with the victim as evidence.
After a trial, James Gibbs, 73, of Meadow Way, Jaywick, was found guilty in July 2024 of two charges of indecency.
He attended Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, 22 May, and received a sentence of four years in jail, with two-thirds to be served prior to eligibility for release.
James Gibbs received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order limiting his access to children for the next decade and will be a registered sex offender for life.
During sentencing, the judge recognised the victim and commended her courage in reporting the incidents.
We were always determined to secure justice.
Detective Sergeant Shirley Cole from our Quest Team said:
“Gibbs put this victim through a horrendous ordeal and throughout the investigation and the court process, has refused to admit to what he did.
“Whilst the victim was on end-of-life care, DS Massey got to speak with her one final time since the court had asked him to obtain a statement from her doctor. He took the opportunity to make sure she knew that we would do everything possible to get her justice.
“I’m so glad that we were able to deliver on that promise and that Gibbs has been held accountable for what he did.
“Our Quest team are specialist in investigating non-recent sexual offences where the victim was a child at the time of the offence. It does not matter when an offence took place, we will always investigate, and survivors of sexual abuse will always be supported.”
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.