June 2013 ‘Feeble-minded’ Grimsby man jailed for sex abuse 20 years ago A WOMAN who was sexually abused as a child told a court how she only realised it was “not normal” after having sex education at school. Her abuser, Kevin Tyler, 53, of Heneage Road, has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of attempting to rape the girl between 1993 and 1997 and three counts of indecently assaulting her. He was also charged with five counts of indecently assaulting a boy of the same age, during the same period, although a jury subsequently cleared him of three of the allegations. Neither victim – now both adults – can be identified for legal reasons. David Gordon, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court six of the eight indecent assault charges were “specimen charges” which represented examples of on-going abuse rather than specific incidents. The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for more than six hours before returning all their verdicts. The court heard the abuse had mainly taken place at Tyler’s home in Heneage Road. Mr Gordon said Tyler had individually taken the children into his bedroom where he encouraged them to undress – either entirely or partially – disguising his intentions as a game. On one occasion, he attempted to rape the girl but was unsuccessful and carried out a sex act. He went on to perform similar acts on a “handful” of occasions over a period of two years. The abuse only stopped after the girl received sex education at secondary school and realised it was “not normal”. The next time Tyler attempted to abuse her, she said: “No, leave me alone, it’s not right,” and it never happened again. Mr Gordon told the court that, during the same period, Tyler had also abused the boy, encouraging him to simulate sex and assaulting him. Tyler was described as a “feeble-minded man” who had never moved out of his childhood home. Mr Gordon told the court Tyler lived in “squalor” with no bathroom or inside toilet and that he relied entirely on his mother, Shirley Tyler, to cook and clean for him. Tyler’s defence involved claims that the allegations had been made in an attempt to gain compensation from him after a small windfall. The victims came forward, however, before he was made aware of the inheritance. Tyler was given a 15-year sexual offences prevention order and was told to register as a sex offender for life