October 2018 Pensioner, 71, jailed for 16 years for sex abuse of boy A pensioner has been jailed for 16 years for historical sexual charges involving a boy. Kenneth Sunderland, 71, of Grindon Crescent, Bulwell, was found guilty of six indecent assaults and two serious attempted sexual offences on the child after a trial. He will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and has been given a restraining order to keep away from the victim. Nottingham Crown Court had heard how Sunderland claimed the male complainant had gone to see him to blackmail him out of cash. He had threatened to tell the defendant’s neighbours about his previous abuse of two females, it was claimed. In the late 1990s, Sunderland, was being investigated for sexually abusing the females – allegations he went on to plead guilty to previously in a separate case. The male victim said that, back then, he decided against speaking to police after apparently being told that a third of children who were abused went on to be abusers. Over the ensuing years, he told others about his abuse at the hands of Sunderland. Richard Thatcher, prosecuting, had told the jury: “The Crown say he had been telling anybody who would listen about this for the better part of 30 years or so.” He described how Sunderland was originally investigated for sexually abusing the two females. “But what happened at that time, the complainant indicated he disclosed his complaints to social services and he was told, in effect, it was too late,” he added. “He was told that a third of children who are abused go on to be abusers. It held him back from ever speaking to the police.” But that changed one month in 2016 when the victim sought an apology from Sunderland after hearing he was dying. Sunderland allegedly said “I don’t know what it was but it wasn’t rape”, said Mr Thatcher. The victim decided the admission was “somewhat mealy-mouthed” and went to the police, Mr Thatcher had said. Sunderland had denied the fresh charges.