A MAN who sexually abused a 14 year old boy was jailed on Wednesday after the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.
Gerard Francis Drew, 64, was 46 at the time of the offending.
He had returned to his Redditch home where a friend and the victim were drinking.
Drew and his friend are both hearing impaired, and had a conversation in sign language which the victim could not understand.
The two then proceeded to sexually assault the victim for around an hour.
Drew was originally sentenced at Hereford Crown Court in July, where he was given two years imprisonment suspended for two years.
However after the Attorney General’s referral, the Court of Appeal found that the decision to suspend the sentence was unduly lenient, and that the sentence ought to be two years immediate imprisonment.
Speaking after the hearing, the Attorney General said: “Sexual abuse is one of the most psychologically damaging things that can happen to a person, especially during their formative years. It is important that we send a clear message to offenders like Drew that crimes of this nature will not be tolerated.”
Detective Sergeant James Beard of West Mercia Police said: “Sexual assaults can have an incredibly damaging effect on victims and I am hopeful that this sentence provides some form of closure after all these years.
“I also hope that this case encourages other victims to come forward, access the support available and report offences to the police.
“All sexual offences are taken very seriously by West Mercia Police irrespective of when they took place and people should feel reassured that they will be thoroughly investigated.”
