June 2015

Child abuser convicted of sex offences in Somerset

A man from Farnborough has been jailed for 21 years after ‘destroying’ the childhoods of two young boys he used as ‘objects for his sexual gratification’.

Malcolm Cohen, 65, of Farnborough Road, subjected the two victims to repeated sexual assaults during the seventies and eighties and warned them not to go to police.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) engineer Cohen escaped justice for nearly 30 years after moving to live and work in the Middle East.

However, he was arrested upon his return to the UK after one of his victims found the courage to report the matter to the police in 2010.

Cohen denied a string of serious sexual offences, but was convicted after a trial in March held at Taunton Crown Court in Somerset where his offending took place.

The court also heard how he also repeatedly raped a woman and sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy during a 12-year ‘campaign of rape’.

Sitting at Exeter Crown Court on Friday (June 12), Assistant Judge Advocate General Alan Large sentenced Cohen to 21 years in prison and ordered he pay the two boys £12,000 compensation.

”You used violence and treated your victims as objects for your sexual gratification,” said the judge. “You continued to commit serious offences year after year.

“The effect on one of the boys was significant and catastrophic. You destroyed his childhood and your abuse has had a grave effect on his adult life.

“You have done nothing to try to repair the damage you have caused and maintained your innocence in the face of clear and compelling evidence. Only a very long-term of imprisonment can be justified.

“I accept you are not dangerous now, but at the time you were very dangerous. What you did amounted to a campaign of rape and there are very many serious offences.”

Compensation

Cohen, formerly of Stoke-sub-Hamdon, near Yeovil in Somerset, was convicted of 10 sexual assaults against one boy, nine against a second, and one against the 17-year-old.

He was also found guilty of two counts of raping a woman and two other charges of serious sexual assault against the same victim.

The judge ordered the compensation should be paid from Cohen’s £17,000 savings and £5,000-a-year MoD pension.

He added: ”No financial recompense will ever compensate the victims for the damage they have suffered, but some money may help alleviate their suffering and do a little to improve their lives.”

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Catherine King of Avon and Somerset Police, said: “The victims in this case have shown tremendous courage in coming forward to disclose the details of the abuse they suffered at the hands of Malcolm Cohen and for supporting the police investigation and court case throughout.

“The offences were reported to us in 2010 and date back to 1976, which I hope shows we are able to thoroughly investigate sexual offences and bring those responsible to justice – no matter how long ago they took place.

“We work with our partner agencies to make sure we’re robustly tackling sexual abuse in all its forms. Hopefully Cohen’s victims will be able to find some form of closure to what’s been a traumatic and difficult part of their lives.

“We would urge anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward and talk to us, whether the case is recent or non-recent.”

Cohen will be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life as a result of his conviction.