PETER WHITE CONSETT SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR RAPE AND GROSS INDECENCY IN DURHAM

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Consett community and the wider Durham area, Peter White, aged 39, was sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to serious sexual offenses committed during the 1990s. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse involving both male and female victims, with the most recent revelation coming to light only last year.

The Durham Crown Court heard that the victim, now in her twenties, disclosed her traumatic experience to her sister in 2010, which prompted a police investigation. This disclosure led to a formal complaint and subsequent police inquiries. During the investigation, two male victims, also in their twenties, came forward, revealing details of their own encounters with White, which had occurred years earlier.

White, who resides at Knitsley Gardens in Consett, County Durham, was arrested on August 24 of the previous year. During police interviews, he admitted to acts of gross indecency with the two boys but denied the more serious charge of rape. The court was told that White acknowledged having a problem, stating, “yes,” when asked if he had a sexual issue. However, he claimed that he no longer experienced sexual urges towards children.

He explained that he was attracted to boys aged between ten and thirteen before they reached puberty but insisted that he had since become celibate and was actively controlling his urges. White also claimed that he had “grown out of” finding children attractive and expressed embarrassment about his past actions. Prosecutor Lesley Kirkup highlighted that White’s admission included a recognition of his previous attraction, but he maintained that he now had no such feelings.

Defense attorney Brian Russell pointed out that White had made efforts to reform himself in the late 1990s, attempting to curb his offending behavior voluntarily. Russell emphasized that White acknowledged his problem early on and took steps to minimize harm by limiting contact with children, aiming to prevent further offenses.

Judge Christopher Prince, presiding over the case, acknowledged the resilience of White’s victims, noting that they appeared to have suffered less impact than victims in similar cases. The judge stated, “After committing these offences, you realized it was wrong and you were determined not to repeat it. You chose to avoid all contact with children and turned to alcohol and drug misuse as a means of coping with your sexual attraction to children.”

As part of his sentence, White was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits any future contact with children. Additionally, he is required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely and is barred from working with children in any paid or voluntary capacity. The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing measures to prevent any further harm to potential victims in the Consett and Durham communities.