MICHAEL WORT SENTENCED IN SOUTHAMPTON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES

Michael Wort, aged 69 and of no fixed address, was convicted of multiple offences committed against three children spanning from 1971 to 2019. The incidents all occurred at various addresses in the New Forest area. At Southampton Crown Court yesterday, he received a sentence of five years in prison after a jury found him guilty of one count of sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching, and two counts of indecent assault of a girl under 16. Additionally, Wort was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was given an indefinite Restraining Order prohibiting him from contacting his victims.

The court heard that the offences occurred over a 48-year period, involving three different victims. The first offence took place in 1971, the second set involved three offences committed against a second child between 1985 and 1986, and the final two offences involved a third child between 2018 and 2019. All these incidents occurred at addresses within the New Forest.

Detective Sergeant Oliver Battersby commented, “We would like to commend the women who have shown incredible bravery and courage in coming forward. These are extremely difficult times for these women and it would not have been easy, both emotionally and physically, to have to re-live their ordeals from when they were younger. We know how hard it is to come forward and report these offences, whether they have taken place recently or in the past. We are committed to getting justice for victims and have specially trained officers to support them through the process. We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak with our specialist detectives in confidence.”

Two of the victims also expressed their gratitude, saying: “We would like to thank all the officers involved in the case and Hampshire Constabulary’s witness care team, for all their support through this most difficult time. They made the whole experience of coming forward so comforting, and while it was hard, we now have closure. We would recommend anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse to come forward.”