NICHOLAS TILLEY FROM CAMBRIDGE JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING STOWMARKET SCHOOLGIRLS
In a case that has spanned several decades, Nicholas Tilley, a 47-year-old man from Cambridge, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two schoolgirls from Stowmarket during the 1980s.The conviction came after a comprehensive four-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court, where Tilley faced three counts of indecent assault, all of which he had previously denied.
The court proceedings revealed that Tilley was 19 years old at the time of the offenses, which occurred while he was with his girlfriend, who was babysitting the victims.
The court heard that in 2008, Tilley had already been convicted of two separate sexual assault charges involving a six-year-old girl, along with possessing and creating indecent images of children.
He was subsequently sentenced to six years in prison for those crimes.
During the recent trial, the court was presented with disturbing testimony from one of the victims, now in her 30s.
She recounted that during the 1980s, Tilley had visited her home while his girlfriend was babysitting.
She described how Tilley had gone upstairs three or four times during the visit and had touched her inappropriately.
The victim stated that Tilley had told her she was his “special girl” and that their encounters were “their secret,” a detail emphasized by prosecutor Lindsay Cox.
The young girl, approximately seven years old at the time, did not fully understand the wrongfulness of Tilley’s actions, believing she liked the attention and the affection he showed her.
This innocence and lack of awareness were highlighted during the court proceedings, illustrating the manipulative nature of the offenses.
The victim came forward to police in 2014, which led to further investigations.
During these inquiries, another woman, who was between 11 and 12 years old at the time, also came forward, alleging that Tilley had indecently touched her on a separate occasion.
These revelations added to the evidence against him.
Tilley, who resides in Fulbourn, Cambridge, maintained his innocence throughout the trial, denying any sexual assault on the victims.
Despite his denials, the jury found him guilty of all three charges.
Judge David Goodin, presiding over the case, described Tilley’s actions as “grubby and disgraceful,” emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed.
In addition to his prison sentence, Tilley was ordered to register as a sex offender and was placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the public from potential future offenses.
