Bedford Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Sexually Abusing Two Children

A Bedford man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing two children two decades apart.

Brian Watts, 79, was in his 40s when he sexually abused a young boy in the early 1990s. He had invited the boy to his home to play on his games console.

The victim kept the abuse to himself for a long time but decided to report it to police in 2020 after realizing how much it was affecting his mental health.

Another victim disclosed that Watts had been sexually abusing her since she was six or seven. She was a teenager when she disclosed this to a trusted adult in 2019, who then reported it to the police.

An investigation was launched by Bedfordshire Police's Protecting Vulnerable People team and Watts was arrested and interviewed but denied sexually abusing either child.

After an 11-day trial at Luton Crown Court, Watts of Kimble Drive, Bedford, was jailed on Friday (19 July) for 13 years after being found guilty of the following:

• Three counts of indecent assault on a male under the age of 14
• Five counts of indecent assault on a female under the age of 14
• One count of indecency with a child

In an impact statement, each victim described how the abuse has had a huge impact on their lives.

"I've carried this secret, the shame, sadness and anger with myself for too long and I don't know the person I could have been if this hadn't happened."

"It's hard to explain but I still struggle with physical touch from anyone. I am just not comfortable in my own skin, and this is because of him and what he did to me."