Man sent to prison for sexual offences

Living Magazines New Scotland Yard

A man has been jailed for eight years for non-recent sexual offences committed against young girls in West London and Hertfordshire dating back to 1965.

Maurice Henry Willis, 84 (15.04.35) of Shillitoe Avenue, Potters Bar was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 7 February after being found guilty, by a majority verdict, on 22 January following a ten day trial.

He was found guilty of the following:

  • Six counts of indecent assault of a child under 14 (aged between five and 13 years old) against victim one.
  • Two counts of indecent assault of a female under 16 (aged between 13 and 15 years old) against a second victim.

Willis was been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) preventing him from having any unsupervised contact with people under 18 and he will be subject to Sex Offender Registration for life.

The court heard how Willis abused the two victims from the mid-1960s, over a prolonged period of time. The victims were aged between five and 15 years old at the time of the assaults.

Detectives in the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences (CASO) unit began an investigation in March 2017 after one of the victims, a woman in her 50s, reported the incidents to police which had taken place in her childhood.

Subsequent police enquiries revealed a further victim, now in her 30s, who was approached and willing to assist police in this investigation.

Willis was interviewed in September 2017, and he denied the allegations of sexual abuse.

On 5 July 2019 he was charged with eight counts of indecent assault relating to girls under 16.

On 30 August Willis pleaded not guilty to all the offences at Southwark Crown Court, but he was subsequently found guilty.

Detective Constable Vicky Wiltshire of the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said: ‘I would like to thank all of the families involved in this investigation – without their courage, bravery and resilience this outcome would not have been possible.

‘Willis has caused immense distress and trauma for the victims and their families and I hope his sentence will go towards providing some closure for them.

‘Willis may have abused more victims, and I would urge any other potential victims to come forward and contact police as soon as possible.’

Anyone with information of a potential victim is asked to contact DC Vicky Wiltshire or DC Jo Williams on 101. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.