BLACK, WATTS, EDMENTSON, AND HILLIER CONVICTED OF SEX OFFENCES IN HARTLEPOOL PUBLIC TOILETS
In a significant legal development, four men from Hartlepool have been found guilty of multiple sexual offences involving children, with the case highlighting disturbing activities that took place in public toilets during the late 1970s and 1980s.The defendants—Robert Black, Peter Watts, Alan Edmenson, and Geoff Hillier—faced a total of 16 charges related to their inappropriate conduct, which was uncovered during an extensive investigation into historical sexual misconduct in the area.
These convictions followed a rigorous 10-day trial at Teesside Crown Court, where the jury deliberated on the evidence presented against the men.
Notably, Joseph Brown, another individual implicated in the case, was acquitted of a single charge of indecent assault, indicating that the jury did not find sufficient evidence to convict him on that count.
Judge Howard Crowson addressed the court and the convicted men, stating that sentencing would be deferred until reports from the probation service were prepared.
He emphasized the importance of these reports in assessing the potential risk of further offending, noting that the reports would be more comprehensive if the men remained on bail during the evaluation process.
However, the judge clarified that the reports' timing should not be interpreted as an indication of the severity of the eventual sentence, which he described as inevitable.
The case centered around allegations of homosexual activity in the public toilets located in Burn Valley Gardens, a well-known area in Hartlepool.
The activities in question reportedly occurred during the late 1970s and into the 1980s, a period during which these locations were used by some individuals seeking adult male sexual encounters.
The evidence included admissions from the defendants themselves, with Peter Watts, 72, of Oxford Road, Hartlepool, admitting to using the toilets to find adult male partners.
Watts was convicted of five charges of indecent assault.
Robert Black, 71, formerly residing at Derwent Grange in Hartlepool and now without a fixed address, was convicted of four charges of indecent assault along with one serious sexual offence.
Alan Edmenson, aged 66 and living on Ibrox Grove in Hartlepool, was found guilty of a single charge of indecent assault.
Lastly, Geoff Hillier, 72, of Haswell Avenue, Hartlepool, was convicted of two charges of indecent assault and two serious sexual offences.
All four men were granted bail and are scheduled to return to court on March 17 for their sentencing.
The convictions mark a significant moment in the ongoing effort to address and bring justice to victims of historical sexual abuse in Hartlepool, shedding light on activities that had long remained hidden and unpunished for decades.
