Paedophile jailed for 14 years for sustained sexual abuse on girl that “ruined” childhood

David Kellett, 75, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court on 14 August of five counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, two counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 and two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 16.

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Kellett, of Sycamore Drive, Brotton, Saltburn-by-the-Sea in Cleveland, was found not guilty of one count of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14. The offences took place between 1993 and 1996.

The victim said her experiences had impacted her relationships with those closest to her following the years of abuse and left her suffering nightmares of her children being abused by Kellett.

She added: “To say that I am overprotective doesn’t really describe it. I am scared to let them out of my sight. I find it difficult to let them go to a friend’s house to play and I can’t let them go unless I know the parents of their friends. I just don’t trust people around my children.”

Kellett was jailed at Southampton Crown Court to 14 years in prison and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Police Constable Nicole Houghton from Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone Unit, said: “This was an abhorrent series of sexual abuse against a child conducted by David Kellett and has hung over the victim now for many year; so today’s ruling and sentencing is a huge milestone in securing justice for the victim.

“While what occurred during the years of abuse is unlikely to ever heal, we hope that the fact David Kellett has now been imprisoned for a significant amount of time will provide some comfort and closure to her. The hope is that she can now begin to put this ordeal behind her – albeit the lasting impact of his actions are immeasurable - and move forward with rebuilding her life, knowing that justice has now been served.

“I want to place on record the bravery of the victim in not only reporting the incident many years later in the first place, but also the courage she has shown through what can only be described as a traumatic investigation and set of circumstances for her. She has had to relive those moments, which will not have been easy for her at all.

“We are committed to getting justice for victims of sexual abuse and we would always encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to report it directly to police on 101, where you can speak with our specialist officers in confidence.

“We know the impact of these crimes can last a lifetime and the pain does not lessen over time. You can talk to us. It’s never too late to make a report.”