24/11/2023

81-Year-Old Bangor Man Jailed For Historic Sexual Offences

An 81-year-old man has been jailed for three years for a number of historic sexual offences.

David Parkinson, from Bangor, Co Down, was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court for 12 offences including gross indecency, indecent assault and rape.

The offences were committed between 1976 and 1983.

He will serve three years in custody and three years on licence. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period and will also be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for an indefinite period.

Welcoming the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Ciara Crozier said: "The victim in this case, who was a child at the time the offences were committed, suffered years of abuse at the hands of Parkinson.

"I would like to commend this woman's bravery for coming forward to bring him before the courts to answer for his crimes.

"We in the Police Service of Northern Ireland take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have a team of dedicated Detectives who are determined to bring anyone involved in any form of abuse before the courts to answer for their crimes, no matter when they occurred.

"As this case demonstrates, it is never too late to report sexual abuse to us, even if it happened many years ago. If you have suffered sexual abuse in the past, please tell contact police on 101, or in an emergency always dial 999. We will investigate and we will pursue justice on your behalf."

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

31 March 2010
Irish Sex Crime Unit On Way
The Irish Republic's police force is to establish a specialist unit to deal with the management of sexual offences.
12 October 2023
54-Year-Old Man Jailed For 21 Sexual Offences Against A Child
A 54-year-old from the Comber area has been jailed at Laganside Crown Court for 21 offences including rape, gross indecency with or towards a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault of a child under 13. The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced to 14 years.
28 September 2023
New Anonymity Laws For Sexual Offences Cases Come Into Effect
A number of new laws to to safeguard the privacy and anonymity of the victims and suspects in sexual offence cases have come into effect today, 28 September. Announced by the Department of Justice, the new laws implement recommendations made by Sir John Gillen in his Review into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences.
16 February 2022
New Legislation To Strengthen NI Sexual Offence Laws
New legislation to strengthen existing law and introduce new offences to tackle sexual offending in Northern Ireland is to be considered during the Assembly.
06 July 2021
Legislation Introduced To Strengthen NI's Sexual Offences And Trafficking Laws
New legislation to improve public safety by updating the law on sexual offending in Northern Ireland has been introduced by Justice Minister Naomi Long.