Man, 65, jailed for historical child sex offences

A 65-year-old man from Gosport has been jailed for a total of nine years for historical child sex offences.

Shaun Anthony Hewer, who had previously been found guilty of the five offences, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday (5 December).

Hewer, of Bury Road, Gosport must serve nine years behind bars, followed by one year on licence.

Hewer will not be eligible for release until he has served two thirds of the nine-year sentence handed down to him.

The offences, for which he has now been jailed, occurred at an address in Gosport between 1978 and 1989, when the victim was aged between four and 16 years.

Police Staff Investigator Nikki Ginn, on the Fareham & Gosport District Investigations Team, said: “First and foremost, I would like to praise the victim in this case for the bravery she has shown in ensuring this child abuser has been brought to justice.

“I am so pleased for her that justice has finally be served in this case.

“After more than 40 years of having to deal with what Hewer did to her, she has now seen him put behind bars, where he belongs.

“He took her innocence from her when she was only four years of age and continued to abuse her into her teenage years.

“While I know this result won’t rid her of the memories of what he did to her, I truly hope it allows her to move forward with her life, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm any other children.

“I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us, even if a considerable amount of time has passed since the offences took place.

“We encourage others who have suffered this type of abuse to come forward and speak to us.

“We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there, who may have committed crimes many years ago, that we will always work tirelessly to ensure the past catches up with you.”

Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse should contact us on 101.
We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there is support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse.

Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood, or is concerned about a child, can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.