August 2008 Perverted pensioners jailed for molesting girls TWO perverted pensioners, who joined forces to repeatedly sexually abuse a couple of young girls, have been handed substantial jail terms. Seventy-year-old Walter Murphy, of Avondale Drive, Widnes, and his friend James Reilly, aged 75, of Hargreaves Court, Widnes, were sentenced to seven years and two years respectively at Warrington Crown Court last week. The court heard how Murphy had started acting inappropriately towards a girl when she was only 10 years old. Later, he started abusing another young girl when she turned 10 years old. Murphy pleaded guilty to a string of sexual offences including rape, indecent assault and sexual activity with a child. But the abuse of both girls continued at Reilly’s home, where the elderly men would play card games with the girls with perverse sexual forfeits. Both men would then give the girls money or mobile phone top-up vouchers to pressurise them to keep them quiet. But details of the abuse finally came to light when the eldest victim started to tell her mother what they had done. A heart-breaking statement from the older girl told of the impact the sexual assaults have subsequently had on her emotional wellbeing. It read: “I feel like a cheap prostitute, like I’ve got nothing to live for anymore because of everything that has happened. I’ve got no confidence, no self-esteem, nothing.” Judge David Hale sentenced Murphy to seven years behind bars and Reilly to two-years. He told Murphy: “These girls thought the world of you but you took advantage of that to abuse them. I’m perfectly satisfied that if it weren’t for you, Mr Reilly wouldn’t be here (in court) now.” He then told Reilly: “I suspect you’re no paedophile but when these children were offered to you, you couldn’t resist.” Judge Hale ordered both men to sign the sex offenders register. Reilly must remain on the register for 10 years and Murphy for the rest of his life