Anthony Barry Lee

Anthony Barry Lee, aged 67 from Walmer Carr, Wigginton, has been sentenced to seven years in prison at York Crown Court for a series of indecent assaults spanning over two decades against two generations of the same family. Described by police as a 'monster', Lee targeted the older victim repeatedly when she was between 10 and 17 years old during the 1970s and 1980s, when he himself was aged 31 to 38. More than a decade later, in the 1990s, he assaulted her daughter on three occasions when the child was aged between 5 and 10, at which time Lee was 47 to 52 years old.

The offences, which occurred in the presence of other people, came to light only after years of silence from the victims, who bravely came forward to report the abuse. Lee denied 12 charges of indecent assault but was convicted by a jury following a trial at York Crown Court. During the proceedings, he forced both victims to relive their ordeals by giving evidence against him in front of strangers, adding further trauma to their experiences.

In addition to the seven-year custodial sentence, Lee was placed on the sex offenders' register for life and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order indefinitely. Detective Inspector Shaun Page, of the York and Selby Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit, commended the victims' bravery, stating: 'Anthony Barry Lee is a monster who preyed on his victims over a substantial period of time. Prison is the best place for him and will hopefully help him to realise the magnitude of his vile and heartless crimes.' Page also expressed hope that the sentence would provide comfort to the victims and encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward.

Representing Lee, Andrew Semple highlighted his client's health issues, including kidney trouble, noting: 'There is a real possibility he may well die within a custodial environment. Any prison sentence will be devastating for him.' Semple argued that Lee had committed the offences in public or semi-public settings, suggesting he was almost 'willing to be caught', and that he had ceased after a 'complaint of sorts'. Despite this, Lee continues to deny his guilt. The case was reported in the York Press, with the article authored by Megi Rychlikova based on contributions from USA Today colleagues.