GEORGE BENSLEY SENTENCED IN GREAT YARMOUTH FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING GIRLS AT GORLESTON CHURCH

In a significant case that has shocked the community of Great Yarmouth and the surrounding Norfolk area, Geoffrey Bensley, a 60-year-old resident of St Georges Road in Great Yarmouth, was formally sentenced to over three years in prison following his conviction on multiple serious sexual offences involving young girls. The crimes, which spanned several years, primarily took place at the Magdalen Way Methodist Church in Gorleston, where Bensley was known to volunteer, but also extended to private residences within Norfolk and even across borders into Eastern Europe.

According to court records, Bensley was found guilty of a series of disturbing offences. These included five counts of sexual assault by touching a girl under the age of 13, alongside five counts of indecent assault. Additionally, he was convicted of taking and making indecent photographs of children, with one count each for these offences. The timeline of these heinous acts is believed to have occurred between 2009 and 2013, during which Bensley exploited his position of trust within the church community to approach and manipulate vulnerable young girls.

It is reported that Bensley would systematically approach young girls, gaining their trust before committing the inappropriate acts. Some of his victims have come forward after seeing his initial charges highlighted on the police force’s social media platforms, which prompted further disclosures. The victims ranged in age, but all were under 13 at the time of the offences, making the crimes particularly egregious.

In court, Bensley pleaded guilty to the charges involving five of his victims earlier this year. The remaining offences against a sixth victim were proven in May, culminating in his conviction. His legal representative, Lori Tucker, acknowledged that Bensley accepted that he had crossed the line into criminal behaviour. She emphasized that his offending was not a continuous pattern over decades but was limited in scope, describing the number of offences as not