Swindon Man Sentenced to Four Years for Indecent Assault

Stuart Eager, 70, of Lady Lane in Swindon, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict of three counts of indecent assault at Portsmouth Crown Court. The court heard that Eager, who denied the allegations, had assaulted the boy on three separate occasions in 1988 at Budds Farm in Havant. The incidents involved Eager allowing the victim to sit on his lap and steer his car around. The boy was 11 or 12 years old at the time.

Judge William Ashworth sentenced Eager to four years in prison with indefinite licence conditions.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Julia Nicol, who led the investigation, expressed her condolences to the victim, stating, "The horrific manipulation and abuse perpetrated by Eager has had a significant impact on this young boy's life. He was only 11 or 12 at the time of these offences, which makes them all the more shocking and depraved."

Nicol went on to highlight the victim's struggle to cope with the trauma, "The boy, now a grown man, harboured this secret for decades, during which he struggled to cope with life and school, his identity, and suffered terribly with his mental health. His childhood was stolen from him, and his adult life was spent trying to come to terms with the trauma."

She commended the victim's courage in coming forward, stating, "It is only in the last couple of years that he has found the courage to come forward, and I wholeheartedly commend him for that."

Nicol concluded her statement by offering support to potential victims, "I have no doubt that there are many people out there that have suffered similar abuse, and spent decades struggling with the trauma, that have not yet found the confidence to report it to police. I would like to assure those people that they are not alone, and we are here to listen to them and support them if they wish to make an allegation."