TREVER WILLIAMSON GATESHEAD AND WINLATON PAEDOPHILE SENT TO JAIL AFTER 45-YEAR SILENCE

In a case that has spanned nearly half a century, Trevor Williamson, a man with connections to Gateshead and Winlaton, has been brought to justice for his long-standing history of sexual offenses against children. The story begins with a victim who, after decades of silence, finally decided to speak out, leading to Williamson's conviction and imprisonment.

It was in May 2011 that the victim, now a grandmother, disclosed the abuse he suffered as a child, which ultimately resulted in Williamson being sentenced to 32 months behind bars. The revelation came after the victim, who had initially kept his trauma hidden, decided to report the assaults to the police. The investigation uncovered that Williamson was not the only child he had victimized, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse spanning years.

Adding a personal and poignant dimension to the case is the story of a former police officer, who was himself attacked by Williamson in the 1960s. This man, now 55 years old, chose to come forward two years prior to Williamson’s arrest, suspecting that Williamson might have been abusing others. His decision was reinforced when he learned of Williamson’s recent arrest, prompting him to finally break his silence after 45 years of silence and shame.

The former officer recounted that he could not remember the exact age he was when Williamson assaulted him, but he believed he was around 10 or 12 years old at the time. Williamson, who was approximately eight years older, had woken him from sleep and carried out the assault at Williamson’s parents’ home in Gateshead. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, explained, “I was asleep when he got into bed with me and I was woken up by what he did. I didn’t really understand what was going on. I didn’t know why but I realised what was happening shouldn’t be happening.”

Despite the trauma, he kept his shame bottled up and never confided in anyone. His silence persisted into adulthood, even as he pursued a career in law enforcement, working as a police constable and later as a detective in Newcastle’s West End. During his time investigating sexual offenses, he never considered reporting Williamson, believing that the lack of evidence and the passage of time would make a conviction unlikely. “I always felt uncomfortable about it,” he admitted. “As I got older I sort of put it into context. I always felt the shame of being abused. But I kept it to myself. I knew that reporting it would mean telling my own colleagues what happened to me. And that would have just added to the shame.”

Unbeknownst to him, Williamson had another victim, Shirley, who also decided to come forward two years ago after suspecting Williamson’s continued abuse. When the ex-police officer learned of Williamson’s arrest related to Shirley’s case, he finally decided to reveal his own long-held secret. “I just said; ‘about time, he abused me too’,” he explained. “I had said it in my head thousands of times, but that was the first time I had ever said it out loud.”

Motivated by a desire for justice, he contacted his former police force immediately, eager to see Williamson held accountable for his actions. With two victims willing to testify, Williamson, of Litchfield Terrace, Winlaton, Gateshead, faced justice in Newcastle Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to three counts of gross indecency with a child and two counts of indecent assault on a female. Last week, he was sentenced to 32 months in prison.

The victims expressed relief and a sense of closure, with the former police officer stating, “As far back as I can remember I have wanted to see him punished. This has given me some closure. I hope he suffers for every minute of his sentence.” The case highlights the importance of speaking out against abuse, regardless of how much time has passed, and serves as a reminder that justice can be pursued even after decades of silence.