July 2013
Chester-le-Street man jailed for 32 months for historic abuse of boy
A MAN in his fifties has finally paid for sexual abuse of a boy dating back three decades.
George Summers was today (Wednesday July 3) jailed for two years and eight months for offences which took place in the early 80s but which only came to light last year.
Durham Crown Court heard that the victim, who was aged ten at the time, was regularly abused over a six-month period after being shown pornographic videos by Summers.
Gavin Doig, prosecuting, said the victim was “embarrassed and ashamed” at what took place and so told no-one what had taken place.
“Nothing was said for years, but early in 2012 the injured party saw the defendant and recognised him.
“He told his wife and mother, and in April last year, he got very drunk in the street and police were called.
“He told the officers he had been abused as a boy.”
Summers was arrested and denied the allegations.
Now aged 51, and of Conyers Road, Chester-le-Street, Summers denied six counts of indecent assault and one of committing an act of gross indecency with a child.
But on the day his trial was due to start, in May, he changed his pleas to ‘guilty’ to four counts of indecent assault and to committing an act of gross indecency.
His barrister, Tom Moran, told today’s (July 3) sentencing hearing that despite implying to the Probation Service that he didn’t actually commit the offences, Summers merely felt “ashamed” over what he did.
“He’s reflected on it and he accepts he did do it.
“He is homosexual and grew up at a time and in a place where enlightened attitudes we see today had yet to arrive.
“He was only just an adult at 18 at the time and it may be that this was him experimenting as to his own sexuality.”
Jailing him, Recorder Amanda Rippon told Summers he had “groomed” the boy by showing him pornography before carrying out the acts of indecency.
She said it has had a great impact on the victim, whose drinking “spiralled out of control” at the prospect of having to give evidence at court, only for Summers to finally make his admissions on the day the trial was due to start.
Summers was made subject of a sexual offences prevention order restricting future contact with young males and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely
