Neville Husband

Neville Husband was a prison officer at Medomsley Detention Centre in County Durham during the 1970s and 1980s, where he perpetrated systematic sexual abuse against young male inmates. The abuse involved raping boys on a daily basis for over 15 years, exploiting vulnerable teenagers who had often been placed in care and lacked family support. Initially, investigations viewed Husband as an isolated perpetrator, but subsequent inquiries revealed he was part of a larger organised paedophile ring operating within the centre.

Durham Police's ongoing investigation into historical abuse at Medomsley, led by Detective Superintendent Paul Goundry, has uncovered evidence of this ring, with nearly 100 victims coming forward to report severe physical and sexual abuse. The inquiry, involving a 70-officer team, has been shocked by the scale and brutality of the regime, where violence was routine. Goundry stated to The Guardian, 'From the statements, there is growing evidence to suggest there was an organised paedophile ring operating in Medomsley. This will form a major part of our operation and future discussions with the CPS.'

Husband's crimes came to light in the early 2000s. In 2003, he was convicted of sexually abusing five young male inmates between 1977 and 1984 and sentenced to eight years in prison. Following further investigations prompted by The Guardian's reporting, additional victims emerged, leading Husband to admit to attacking four more boys. His sentence was increased in 2005. Storeman Leslie Johnson, another abuser at the centre, was jailed in 1977 for similar offences, but both men had died by the time of the latest police probe in 2014. The investigation aims to prosecute any surviving members of the ring and provide support to victims, many of whom were detained for petty crimes and have suffered long-term trauma.