KEITH DOWNEND JAILED IN MANCHESTER FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES COMMITTED OVER 30 YEARS AGO

In May 2014, a 59-year-old man was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to a total of 19 years in prison for sexual offences committed against young girls between 1979 and 1985 in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

Keith Downend was convicted of eight counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault involving two girls under the age of 16 at the time of the crimes.

The first victim, who was under 13 years old, was raped by Downend over a five-year period while she babysat for him. Her abuse only ceased when she reached the age of 15. It is estimated that approximately 2,000 rapes may have occurred involving this girl; however, only specimen rape charges were brought in court, meaning only a small fraction of the incident was formally prosecuted.

The second victim was 12 years old when the abuse began, lasting approximately 13 months.

At the time of the offenses, Downend resided on Hawthorn Street in Audenshaw, Tameside. By the time of his arrest, he was living on Thorncliffe Avenue in Dukinfield.

Justin Hayhoe, Senior Crown Advocate for CPS North West, stated: “This case exemplifies how the CPS successfully prosecutes cases of non-recent sexual abuse.

“Keith Downend systematically and sexually abused his victims over several years, exploiting their vulnerability and youth to satisfy his own selfish desires.

“He has now been sentenced to a significant custodial term and will have to face the consequences of his deplorable actions.

“The CPS and police urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, regardless of when it occurred, to come forward and report it to the police. We understand how traumatic it must be to testify against an abuser, and I want to thank the victims for their courage, which enabled us to bring this dangerous individual to justice.”