Martin Slater

Martin Slater, aged 53 and of no fixed address, has been sentenced to over 15 years in prison for a series of historic sexual offences against two young children in and around Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The abuse, which began when the victims were at primary school and Slater himself was underage, spanned many years and had profound, devastating effects on the victims' lives, as highlighted by Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, during the proceedings at York Crown Court.

Prosecutor Christopher Bevan outlined that it took years for each victim to come forward to the police due to the trauma endured. Both victims were required to provide evidence against Slater after he pleaded not guilty to all 16 charges. A jury at York Crown Court convicted him earlier this year following a trial. The offences involved sexual abuse starting from when the children were very young, causing immeasurable harm not only to them but also to their families.

Detective Constable Leah Gillon of Scarborough CID, the investigating officer, commended the victims for their courage in reporting the abuse after living with the trauma for many years. She stated: 'Slater has caused immeasurable harm to the victims which has affected all of their lives and that of their families. They are to be commended for coming forward and reporting the abuse. As with many victims of abuse they have lived with the trauma caused by Slater for many, many years, before feeling they able to report what had happened to them.' Gillon expressed hope that the guilty verdicts and sentence would provide closure and encourage other victims to report similar incidents, assuring them of thorough investigations and specialist support.

In mitigation, Derek Duffy, representing Slater, noted that Slater had not offended for many years and committed the earliest offences as a child himself. Duffy described Slater's challenging background, including severe burns in childhood that left visible facial scars, leading to an isolated and lonely life marked by frequent moves in his later teens and early adulthood. Slater had been employed and lived on a houseboat but lost his job following the conviction. This sentence marks his first time in prison, after which he will need to rebuild his life.

Judge Morris imposed a custodial sentence of 15 and a half years, deeming Slater an 'offender of particular concern,' with an additional year on extended licence upon release. Slater will be placed on the sex offenders' register for life, subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life, and a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victims indefinitely. The case was reported by the York Press, with court reporting by Megi Rychlikova.