DAVID TOTTEN, GATESHEAD CHILD SEX PREDATOR, SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Gateshead, David Totton, a 49-year-old man, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after being found guilty of multiple heinous crimes involving young girls. The conviction follows a detailed investigation by police that spanned over seven months, culminating in the arrest of Totton and his wife, Heather, also 49, last December.

Totton, who resides in Bensham, Gateshead, was charged with two counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault, all committed against girls under the age of 14. The victims' accounts revealed that these appalling acts took place over a period stretching from 1975 to the mid-1990s, highlighting a long history of abuse. Heather Totton faced charges of two indecent assaults and one count of aiding and abetting the rape of a girl under 16. However, during the proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court last week, all charges against her were dismissed, and she was released.

David Totton pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him. The court sentenced him to 18 years for one count of rape and 12 years for the second, with additional six-year sentences for each of the three indecent assaults. The judge ordered that all sentences be served concurrently, meaning Totton will spend a total of 18 years behind bars. His admission of guilt and the severity of his crimes have left the community in shock and outrage.

As Totton begins his prison term, a former friend of the family, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke candidly to the Sunday Sun about the man’s disturbing character. The acquaintance described how, initially, the Tottons appeared to be an ordinary family when they moved into Claremont South Avenue in Bensham, with their young son. The couple, childhood sweethearts who met at school in nearby Ryton, had integrated into the neighborhood, making friends with many residents.

However, the facade of normalcy soon unraveled as the friend recounted that Totton’s true nature was revealed through subtle hints of his twisted, sex-obsessed mindset. “He had a very twisted sense of humour,” the former friend explained. “He would often talk with the men, but it would always lead to some sexual innuendo. No matter what we were discussing, he’d make a sexual comment.”

Furthermore, the acquaintance revealed that Totton would shout after young girls wearing short shirts when he saw them out in public. “He always said that if his wife died, the first place he’d go was the Philippines because women there know how to take orders, they are subservient. I asked why he’d want to demean women like that – he said it was a turn-on,” the friend added.

Despite his attempts to dismiss or ignore these unsettling remarks, the friend noted that many others, including female acquaintances, felt uncomfortable around him. “Some female friends who met him said they couldn’t feel comfortable in his presence,” he said. The revelations about his character and the charges against him seemed to confirm the suspicions many had harbored, and the community now grapples with the reality of his depraved actions.