MICHAEL THOMSON, NUNEATON FORMER SOLDIER, SENTENCED FOR DECADES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

A former soldier and convicted paedophile, Michael Thomson, 65, of Elm Tree Road, Nuneaton, has been sentenced to an indefinite term for the protection of the public following a series of sexual abuse offences spanning over 40 years.

Thomson, who was locally known as the soldier resembling Michael Caine, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault committed in the 1970s and 1980s. He also denied five more recent charges involving sexual activity with a child and one charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual acts.

However, the jury found him guilty of all but one charge. At Coventry Crown Court, Judge Paul Farrer imposed an indeterminate sentence for the protection of the public. He described Thomson as “a paedophile in the true sense of the word.” The judge also ordered Thomson to register as a sex offender for life and stated that he must serve a minimum of seven years before he could seek parole.

Judge Farrer told Thomson: “For over 40 years, you have acted as a sexual predator, committing sexual acts against young, vulnerable people whom you manipulated, coerced, threatened and, in some cases, used force upon.”

Prosecutor Kristina Montgomery explained the scope of Thomson’s crimes: “The allegations span many years, and span his life between living in this country, in Scotland, in Germany and back in this country. They involve people who have come into his life via various associations. He would sexually abuse anybody who came into his path.”

Thomson’s first known victim was an eight-year-old girl he met through his wife’s family prior to joining the Army in 1969. While some incidents occurred in Scotland, others happened when she visited him and his wife during his postings in England.

“The victim saw Thomson again in Scotland in the mid-1970s, when she was 16, during which time he brutally raped her. Although she reported the assault, no legal action was taken against him,” Miss Montgomery stated.

In the 1970s, Thomson was also accused of abusing a four-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl while based in Devizes.

Another victim was a 15-year-old boy whom Thomson befriended through a social club after relocating to Bramcote Barracks near Nuneaton in the late 1980s. The pair would converse and share drinks, and on one occasion, Thomson invited the boy on an overnight trip to Nottingham. While sharing a room with single beds, the boy was awakened in the night by Thomson in his bed.

Thomson’s crimes only came to light in 2009, after his last two victims—both aged 14—discussed the abuse they had endured, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.