Joseph Green

A retired Metropolitan Police officer from Gainsborough has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a historic sexual assault on a schoolboy that occurred more than two decades ago. Joseph Green, aged 68, appeared before a judge on 3 August 2015, where he received his custodial sentence following an earlier guilty plea to the indecent assault charges.

The court heard detailed accounts of the incident, which took place in 1992. Prosecutor Andrew Copeland described how Green, who had consumed a bottle of red wine prior to the assault, took the hand of the boy, who was under 13 years old at the time, and forced it onto his own erect penis. When the boy removed his hand, Green reportedly held it again and placed it back. Green then touched the boy's penis and attempted to masturbate him, but the victim pushed him away and moved out of reach, at which point Green stopped. The assault has had a profound and lasting impact on the victim, affecting him through childhood and into adulthood, as stated in court.

Defending Green, barrister James Gray highlighted several mitigating factors. He noted that Green pleaded guilty at the earliest reasonable opportunity after the first hearing, expressing genuine remorse that has led to depression and suicidal thoughts. Gray emphasised that the incident occurred 25 years prior, with no prior or subsequent offences, and attributed it partly to alcohol consumption. He argued that Green presented a low risk, having no sexual interest in children and suffering significantly from the consequences of his actions. Green had even written a letter to the court expressing his daily regret and sickness over the harm caused to the victim.

Judge Johanna Cutts, in her sentencing remarks, acknowledged Green's intoxication but stressed that he should have recognised his mistake and desisted immediately. She described the event as a short incident that nonetheless haunted the victim for years, hoping the sentencing would allow him to move forward. In addition to the 18-month prison term, Green was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, barred from working with children, and subjected to a 10-year restraining order preventing contact with the victim, as well as a Sexual Offence Prevention Order.

The victim's family expressed relief outside court, stating that the assault had deeply affected him for years and that they hoped he could now move on with his life. This case, reported by the Gainsborough Standard on 4 August 2015, underscores the long-term pursuit of justice for historic sexual offences.