Lowestoft - Man jailed for sex offences

A man from Lowestoft has been sentenced for a series of sex offences against child.

Timothy Neale, aged 55 and of Montgomery Avenue in Lowestoft, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday 28 August.

He was sentenced to a total of 19 years in jail each for two counts of rape. He was also sentenced to 12 years each for a further three counts of rape; sentenced to 12 months and 9 months respectively for two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act. Neale was also sentenced to 30 months for one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and also sentenced to three years for one count of sexual assault of a child. These sentences will run concurrently.

It follows a two week trial in late April where he pleaded not guilty to all of the offences. He was initially charged with the offences in May 2020.

DC Williams of the Internet Child Abuse Investigations Team said: “This was a highly traumatic and distressing experience for the victim and I commend them for the strength shown throughout. It has been a long journey to reach this stage for the victim and their family to endure.

“They have also shown incredible bravery in terms of reporting it to police and also providing evidence during the investigation, court hearings and trial which again shows their courage in securing this conviction.

“This case demonstrates we are absolutely committed to pursuing perpetrators of non-recent incidents and supporting victims. We urge victims of any serious violent or sexual offence to come forward to the police, seek support from the agencies available and we remain committed to supporting all victims who report sexual offences.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual violence, please report it to police via the online reporting tool at: https://www.suffolk.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

Further information, support and advice:

The Ferns – Suffolk Sexual Assault Referral Centre – https://www.theferns-suffolk.org.uk

Survivors in Transition - Specialist support in Suffolk for female and male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, violence and exploitation - www.survivorsintransition.co.uk

Brave Futures - https://bravefutures.org - a therapeutic service for children and young people up to 21 years who have reported being sexually abused and to offer support for their families.