David Folgate

David Folgate, a 74-year-old former postman and boys' football coach from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court to an additional 40 months in prison for historical sexual offences against young boys. This sentencing came after two men came forward to Hertfordshire Police in the previous year, reporting abuse they suffered while part of Folgate's football teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Folgate had a prior conviction in 1995, when he received a 12-month sentence for indecently assaulting eight boys over a two-year period. The new allegations involved two victims who were aged seven to nine at the time of the offences. One victim, now in his late 30s, described how Folgate befriended his family and invited him and another boy to his flat in Stevenage. There, Folgate provided sweets, showed films, and even gave the boy a bath. During an overnight stay, Folgate sexually touched the boy under the pretence of tickling to find a 'spider', and coerced the boy into touching him. On another occasion, Folgate had the two boys touch him while they were in the bath together.

The second victim, who was eight or nine years old during the abuse, stated in a victim impact statement: 'He was a friend of my family and I trusted him. I felt I couldn’t tell anyone what happened. I feel sad my childhood was tarnished by him abusing me.' The first victim added: 'I hate football and never had anything to do with football since this happened.' He explained that he remained silent at the time due to fear of being disbelieved.

Prosecutor Richard Hearndon presented the details to the court, highlighting the breach of trust. Folgate pleaded guilty to the charges of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child. In mitigation, defence counsel Nicholas Whitehorn argued that Folgate expressed genuine remorse, stating: 'He genuinely does feel sorry for what he did. He says he deserves to suffer as he knows the boys will have suffered. He takes full responsibility. His remorse is genuine.' Whitehorn also noted that sentencing guidelines have evolved since the 1990s, potentially leading to a shorter term if handled contemporaneously.

Judge Richard Foster described the offences as 'serious and appalling', involving 'a gross breach of trust, planning and grooming.' In addition to the 40-month custodial sentence, Folgate was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and comply with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This case follows a 2010 conviction where Folgate received a three-year Community Order for downloading indecent images of children.