EDMONSON, BLACK, ANDERSON, AND WATTS SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN HARTLEPOOL PUBLIC TOILETS
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Hartlepool, four men have been convicted and sentenced for their involvement in a series of child abuse crimes that took place in and around the town's public toilets, specifically in the Burn Valley Gardens area.The offenders, all now in their seventies, exploited their positions of trust to prey on vulnerable young boys during the late 1970s and 1980s, leaving a lasting impact on their victims.
These heinous acts came to light as part of a broader police investigation into the activities of Hartlepool undertaker Gerald Martin, who was previously jailed for 20 years last year for child sex offences.
The investigation uncovered a disturbing pattern of grooming and abuse by multiple men, including Edmonson, Black, Anderson, and Watts, who targeted children in the public toilets and elsewhere in the town.
At a sentencing hearing held at Teesside Crown Court, the court heard detailed accounts of the abuse inflicted upon the victims, who ranged in age from 12 to 16 at the time of the offences.
The victims, some of whom bravely provided statements, described how the abuse had left them with deep psychological scars.
One victim stated, “The moments of sexual predatory pleasure my abusers sought gave me a lifetime of psychological and behavioural problems.
They stole my innocence, and replaced it with an immature attitude that resulted in failed relationships, alcohol and drugs abuse.
Trust in others became minimal, with an expectation that all men who were being kind to me were doing so for their own depraved ends.
My abusers should be jailed for their heinous sexual crimes, but also for the theft of children’s souls.” Edmonson, aged 66 and residing on Ibrox Grove in Hartlepool, was convicted of a single charge of indecent assault.
Black, 71, formerly of Derwent Grange but now without a fixed address, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and one serious sexual offence.
Hillier, aged 72 from Haswell Avenue, Hartlepool, faced charges including two counts of indecent assault and two serious sexual offences, and also admitted possessing indecent images.
Anderson, also 71 and from Grange Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to six charges of indecent assault.
Watts, aged 72 and living on Oxford Road, Hartlepool, was convicted of five counts of indecent assault.
Judge Howard Crowson delivered the sentences, emphasizing the gravity of the crimes committed in the public toilets of Burn Valley Gardens.
He stated, “In the 1970s and 80s, the Burn Valley Gardens public toilets attracted men who wanted to abuse children.
Some men who abuse children are homosexual, some heterosexual, some bisexual, what they have in common is a warped reasoning which considers children to be appropriate sexual partners.
It is true some of the children gave factual consent, but they cannot give legal consent, and they are entitled to the protection of the courts for their vulnerabilities to men such as you who groomed them for abuse.
You are responsible for the abuse, not them.” As part of their sentences, each of the men was subjected to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order, restricting their contact with children and limiting their internet use to prevent further abuse.
The court's decision aims to protect potential future victims and serve justice for those affected.
One of the victims expressed a mixture of relief and frustration, saying, “They are long sentences, although I’m not very keen on them having to serve only half.” Another victim urged others to come forward, stating, “We know there are other victims, and we want them to come forward.
All victims should get their chance of getting justice.” The community of Hartlepool continues to grapple with the aftermath of these revelations, but the court's actions mark a significant step toward accountability and safeguarding vulnerable children from similar harm in the future.
