MARTYN LOCKLIN'S SHOCKING SEX OFFENCES IN NEWTON AYCLIFFE: 15 YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR ABUSE

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, Martyn Locklin, aged 41, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 15 years after being found guilty of a series of heinous sexual offences committed against teenage boys. The conviction was handed down at Teesside Crown Court following a detailed three-week trial that uncovered disturbing details about Locklin's abuse.

Locklin, who was once a prominent Labour party activist in Sedgefield and had previously shown Prime Minister Tony Blair around the area on several occasions, appeared impassive in the dock as the jury of eight men and four women delivered their verdicts. The jury convicted him on eight counts, including serious sexual offences such as rape, indecent assault, and grooming. Despite Locklin's protests of innocence, the court found him guilty of two indecent assaults against one teenager, one serious sexual offence, two counts of rape, and additional indecent assaults involving two other boys. All these offences took place over an extended period from 1988 to 1996.

During the proceedings, the court was told that Locklin, who served as a house parent at Aycliffe Young People's Centre, exploited his position of trust to abuse vulnerable teenagers. One of the victims testified that Locklin had visited his room at night on more than 30 occasions, breaching the trust placed in him as a caretaker. Another young man recounted how he was systematically raped and sexually abused at Locklin's home during weekends over a span of more than two years, all while Locklin's partner, Denise Anderson, and her stepsons slept upstairs. The third victim described being sexually abused over a two-month period in Locklin's residence. All three boys reported being given alcohol, cannabis, and gifts such as tobacco, clothing, and cash to silence them.

Throughout the trial, Locklin's family members, including Anderson and her stepsons, insisted that the allegations were impossible and defended Locklin as a good father. However, the court found the evidence compelling and the testimonies credible, leading to his conviction. Judge Peter Fox QC described the abuse as