“Predatory” Chesterfield pensioner blamed young female victim for sexual abuse

Terence Power, now aged 75, sexually assaulted the girl on a number of occasions over a period of four years when she was between the ages of six and ten.

Derby Crown Court heard how, after blaming herself for years, she plucked up the courage to report what happened to police in June last year.

However Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, described how during his police interview Power “put the blame for what happened on the young girl” and described her as “wayward and promiscuous”.

When challenged by detectives about this Power told them “it seemed what she wanted” and he “didn’t see it as sexual behaviour”.

Recorder Simon King told Power: “You went out of your way to put the blame for your predatory instincts on a young child.

"She will at times have thought the blame lay with her but it is always the fault of the sexually mature adult who abuses a child.”

The judge, reading from the woman’s personal victim statement, described how she had struggled throughout her school years – suffering “nightmares and flashbacks”.

Jailing former military man Power for three years and nine months, Recorder King told him: “At your age you will find it very difficult to cope with the custodial environment, where the nature of your offending is likely to be known.”

He praised Power’s victim, who was present in court as he was sentenced, for her “courage”.

Power, of School Board Lane, Chesterfield, admitted four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

He was placed on an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and on the sexual offenders register for life.