Brixham man jailed for historical sexual abuse of two boys
Graham Bartlett was also found with a number of indecent images
A man has been sentenced to serve seven and a half years in prison for the historical sexual abuse of two boys.
Graham Bartlett, from Brixham, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday (September 4th) after he was found guilty of sexual activity with a child and four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.
On top of this, he had also pleaded guilty to three separate charges of possessing indecent images of children before facing trial. He was, however, found not guilty of a number of other child sexual abuse charges.
During the trial, the court heard how in 2008 a teenage boy had come forward to reveal that he had been abused by Bartlett - but no action was taken at the time.
In 2019, eleven years on from the original arrest, a second man came forward to reveal he had been abused by Bartlett while he was a child, which prompted the case to be reopened.
Bartlett was later arrested, and when his phone and laptop were searched, officers found Categories A, B and C of indecent images - some of the most extreme forms of child pornography.
Whilst being interviewed by police, Bartlett admitted he knew the victims but denied he was interested in young boys sexually. He also blamed the indecent images on a cracked phone screen and computer viruses.
On top of his seven and a half year jail term, Bartlett will be required to sign onto the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.
Speaking on the case, Detective Constable Julian Smith from Devon and Cornwall Police thanked the victims for coming forward.
“Graham Bartlett has now been convicted of a number of sexual offences committed against children," he said.
“Despite overwhelming evidence pointing to Bartlett having a sexual interest in young boys, he’s never had the courage to admit what he did and as a result, forced the victims to give evidence at court.
“I would like to thank all those connected to the case for remaining engaged during the court process.
“We will continue to investigate all allegations of child sexual abuse, regardless of when it was reported, and support victims every step of the way.”