BRAIN WATTS SENTENCED IN BEDFORD FOR DECADES-OLD CHILD SEX ABUSE CASES
A man from Bedford has been handed a significant prison sentence of 13 years after being convicted of sexually abusing two children over a span of twenty years.The offender, Brian Watts, aged 79, was in his 40s when he committed his first known acts of abuse in the early 1990s.
During that period, he lured a young boy to his residence on Kimble Drive, Bedford, under the pretense of playing on his games console, only to subject the child to sexual misconduct.
The victim, who kept the abuse to himself for many years, eventually decided to come forward in 2020.
The decision was driven by the realization of how deeply the trauma had affected his mental health, prompting him to report the incidents to the police.
The investigation revealed that Watts had also been abusing another girl, starting from when she was just six or seven years old.
This second victim disclosed her experiences as a teenager in 2019 to a trusted adult, who then reported the matter to law enforcement authorities.
Following these disclosures, Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People team launched a thorough investigation.
Watts was arrested and taken in for questioning.
During the interviews, he denied any involvement in the abuse of either child.
Despite his denials, evidence presented at trial led to his conviction after an 11-day trial at Luton Crown Court.
On Friday, July 19, Watts, residing on Kimble Drive in Bedford, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The court found him guilty of multiple charges, including four counts of indecent assault of a male, four counts of indecency with a child, and three counts of sexual assault of a child.
Additionally, Watts will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order upon his release, aimed at preventing any further harm.
Both victims provided impact statements during the sentencing, describing the profound and lasting effects of the abuse on their lives.
One victim expressed the emotional toll, stating, “I’ve carried this secret, the shame, sadness and anger with myself for too long and I don’t know the person I could have been if this hadn’t happened.” The other victim shared her ongoing struggles with physical intimacy, revealing, “It’s hard to explain but I still struggle with physical touch from anyone.
I am just not comfortable in my own skin, and this is because of him and what he did to me.” The court’s decision underscores the serious nature of Watts’s crimes and the lasting impact on his victims.
