WYATT SOMERVILLE'S HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IN TORQUAY AND MANCHESTER REVEALED
In a chilling case that spans decades and multiple locations, Wyatt Somerville, a 76-year-old man from Torquay, has been convicted of a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of young girls during the 1990s.The disturbing details emerged during a court hearing at Plymouth Crown Court, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior that persisted over several years and caused lifelong trauma to his victims.
According to court records, Somerville, who also went by the alias Lloyd Jamieson, targeted vulnerable children, some as young as six years old.
He would lure them into his home by offering drugs and alcohol, notably cannabis, to lower their inhibitions and make them more susceptible to his advances.
The court heard that he not only supplied the children with illegal substances but also exposed them to pornography, further corrupting their innocence.
The abuse took place at Somerville’s residence, where he engaged in vile sexual acts in front of the children, sometimes with multiple girls present in the same room.
The court described how he repeatedly indecently touched some of the victims over numerous occasions spanning several years.
In addition to these acts, Somerville performed sexual acts upon himself in front of the young girls and coerced some of them into dancing naked for his perverted entertainment.
The youngest victim was only six years old, a detail that underscored the severity and depravity of his crimes.
The court heard that Somerville’s actions went unpunished for nearly two decades, allowing him to evade justice for a long period.
It was only after investigations that he was brought to trial, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted rape, 17 counts of indecent assault, and one charge of indecency with a child, covering offenses committed between 1993 and 2000.
During the proceedings, several of the victims watched the court proceedings via videolink from the North West, where the offenses had originally taken place in Manchester and Rochdale.
Their testimonies painted a harrowing picture of the abuse they endured, with one victim stating, “I still have flashbacks.
He should suffer as I will suffer, for the rest of my life.” Judge Jonathan Barnes sentenced Somerville to 11 years in prison, emphasizing the devastating impact his crimes have had on the victims.
The judge expressed hope that the sentence would provide some measure of closure for those affected, though he acknowledged that the punishment might not seem sufficient given the gravity of the offenses.
The court also noted that, due to his age, Somerville might never be released from prison, with a projected sentence of five and a half years, which could effectively mean a life sentence.
Somerville’s criminal history includes a previous conviction in 1983 for indecent assault, for which he served six months in jail.
However, details of that earlier offense have been lost over time.
As part of his sentence, he will remain on the sex offender register for the rest of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.
The case has cast a long shadow over the community of Torquay and the wider region, highlighting the importance of vigilance and justice in protecting vulnerable children from predators.
