MAIDSTONE CROWN COURT SENTENCE FOR MARK CHEAL OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AFTER SEXUAL ABUSE CONVICTIONS

In October 2012, unsettling scenes unfolded at Maidstone Crown Court following the conviction of Mark Cheal, a resident of Henwood Green Road, Tunbridge Wells, on charges related to the sexual abuse of a young boy. Cheal, aged 32 and a father, was found guilty of eight counts of indecency with a child and five counts of indecent assault. He was acquitted of two rape charges, which were dismissed at the direction of Judge Philip Statman, along with two additional indecency charges and one indecent assault. During the announcement of the verdicts, disturbances erupted on the courthouse steps when some members of the jury expressed concerns over their safety. To ensure their protection, the judge ordered the public gallery cleared, stating, “I am going to ensure you are escorted away from the building. Any other party will be kept away from you.” Cheal's victim was only six years old at the time of the abuse, which he began when Cheal was approximately 11 years old. Prosecutor Samantha Cohen described the abuse, saying, “They would play computer games and look at football magazines. Cheal started by cuddling and kissing the victim and progressed to lying on top of him, leading to other sexual activities.” She further explained that the boy may have felt flattered by Cheal’s attention but did not tell anyone at the time because “it was weird,” and Cheal had told him to keep it a secret. Cohen also highlighted Cheal's history of previous convictions for dishonesty, cannabis possession, driving offenses, and racially aggravated abuse. The judge, addressing the jury, remarked, “These cases are never easy. It involves all of us going outside our comfort zone. We are dealing with horrible events, sometimes many years ago.” He then told Cheal's defense lawyer, Jan Hayne, “I have to sentence him for offences committed when he was around 11-13 years old. Clearly, sentencing a boy of that age is entirely different from sentencing an adult. That is a very important mitigating factor. I will need a pre-sentence report before proceeding.” Cheal remains on conditional bail until sentencing scheduled for November 1.