PETER BARBER FROM KENDAL AND MORECAMBE SENTENCED FOR DECADES-OLD CHILD ABUSE CASE

In a case that has spanned decades, Peter Barber, a man with ties to Kendal and Morecambe, was sentenced to five years in prison for the repeated sexual abuse of a young boy during the 1980s. The conviction was handed down at Carlisle Crown Court in January, following a thorough trial and the presentation of probation reports to the judge.

Barber, aged 61 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty of abusing the boy on hundreds of occasions over a five-year period. The offences took place while Barber was residing with his wife, Hazel, in Kendal. The court also ordered Barber to register as a sex offender and imposed an indefinite ban on him working with children, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses.

During the proceedings, Barber’s legal representative, barrister Alison Whalley, acknowledged that there was little she could say in his defense, as Barber continued to deny any wrongdoing. The court heard that Barber was convicted on 12 counts of indecent assault and five counts of inciting the boy to commit gross indecency. These charges represented only a sample of the numerous ways Barber exploited the young victim, as detailed during the trial.

It was revealed that the victim had kept his suffering largely to himself, revealing little about how the abuse began. However, he recalled that the abuse quickly became a disturbing pattern, during which Barber would give him small sums of money—ranging from £2 to £5—to secure his participation in the sexual acts. Prosecutor Tim Storrie emphasized the frequency of these incidents, stating, “It happened on hundreds of occasions. One measure of how often the boy was used in this way is that by the time it finished he had amassed as much as £500.”

The court was also informed that the victim only came forward to police last year, revealing the extent of his suffering after many years of silence. When Barber was arrested, he was living on Middleton Road in Morecambe. During police questioning, Barber maintained that he had done nothing inappropriate, denying any allegations of misconduct. The case has brought to light a long history of abuse, and the court’s decision reflects the gravity of Barber’s actions and the lasting impact on his victim.