MICHAEL CANTWELL, WICKFORD PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR HISTORIC ABUSE

In June 2021, a 78-year-old man from Wickford, Michael Cantwell, was sentenced to two years in prison for historic sexual abuse of a young girl. Cantwell, of Meadow Court, was convicted of indecent assault against a child during the 1990s. Although he denied the two charges brought against him, a jury consisting of five men and seven women at Basildon Crown Court unanimously found him guilty.

The victim, a girl under the age of 13 at the time of the abuse, told police that Cantwell forced her to perform a sex act on him and engaged in sexual acts himself while she was present. She did not report the crimes initially but gathered the courage to contact authorities in September 2018. During police interviews, she provided detailed accounts of the abuse, which she admitted left her emotional and in tears.

Prosecutor Joanne Eley addressed the jury during the trial’s opening statements, stating: “She [the victim] goes on to say she was such a young child and did not understand what was happening. But as she grew older, she now appreciates what he was doing.” She described the incident as “just horrible.”