John Saterlay

John Saterlay, an 80-year-old retired BT engineer and businessman originally from Essex, was a notorious paedophile from Barnstaple in Devon. He was jailed in 2017 at the age of 72 for committing heinous sexual offences against two young girls, effectively 'stealing their innocence' through repeated abuse.

The abuse occurred when Saterlay was 65 years old, during a period when his wife was dying of cancer. He admitted to six counts of sexual assault and one offence of sexual activity in the presence of a child. These crimes took place in North Devon after he had relocated there following his retirement. At Exeter Crown Court, Recorder Mr Jeremy Wright sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment, stating: 'You were 65 when you started to abuse these two young children. One says in her victim statement that she has lost her innocence.' The judge acknowledged Saterlay's expressed remorse and his previous good character as a hardworking man, but emphasised the gravity of the offences.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Saterlay was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which would have restricted his contact with children upon any potential release. At the time of sentencing, it was revealed that Saterlay had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was scheduled to receive radiotherapy while in prison.

Saterlay died on 15 October 2025 at HMP Fosse Way, a Category C prison in Leicestershire that opened in 2023 and has capacity for nearly 2,000 inmates. The Prisons & Probation Ombudsman confirmed his death and has initiated a standard investigation into the circumstances, as is procedure for all prisoner deaths. The case was handled by Devon & Cornwall Police, with details reported by Plymouth Live on 8 November 2025.