May 2019 Elderly pervert jailed for sexual abuse of young girls A man who abused two young girls in a case described as “an appalling breach of trust” showed no remorse as he was sent to prison. The elderly pervert had been convicted by a jury of abusing two young girls more than three decades apart. Barry Crowley, 75, of Ludgvan near Penzance , appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence on Friday, May 24, at the end of the trial this week. He was convicted of four counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child, three sexual assaults of a child under 13 and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. The court heard Crowley touched both girls in their vaginal area as well as getting them to masturbate him. The abuse took place decades apart. The first victim told the court how she remembered four occasions in the 1970s when she was touched sexually by Crowley. He touched her inappropriately under her clothes before later performing another sex act on her and placing her hand on his penis and masturbating him. Some of the abuse took place in the lorry he would drive for work. Deni Matthews, representing Crowley, said his client was in good health but, as he was already 75 years old, it was probable that he would serve the remaining years of his healthy life in jail. He said that notwithstanding the effect on his victims, his behaviour had also had profound consequences for his own family and himself. Judge Robert Linford outlined the proven facts of the case and said Crowley’s victims had suffered for years as a result of his abuse. He said the first victim had suffered feelings of depression, self-loathing and guilt throughout her life. He said to Crowley: “For years and decades your savage abuse of trust has haunted this girl. You have never uttered a word of remorse for what you have done.” He said the woman was “frankly fobbed off by Derbyshire Constabulary” when the abuse was first reported in the 1980s. Judge Linford added that it was only the work of Devon and Cornwall Police more recently that led to the prosecution. He said the second victim also suffered similar effects, including feelings of isolation, self-loathing and betrayal. Judge Linford added to Crowley: “This case demonstrates how sexual abuse destroys the lives not just of the poor individuals abused but of the wider family around them. This was your doing.” He added that the jury had seen through Crowley’s “ludicrous defence” and found him guilty of all counts. In the case of the first girl, Crowley was sentenced to four years in prison on each count and 15 months for indecency, to run concurrently. Crowley was handed four month prison sentences for each of the counts relating to the second girl. Judge Linford ordered that each set of charges run consecutively, meaning Crowley was jailed for a total of eight years.