82 year old jailed for sexually abusing two girls four decades ago

Wednesday, 26 February 2025 07:00

An 82 year old Guernsey man has been jailed for eight years and ten months for sexually abusing two girls in the 1980s while 'hiding in plain sight'.

Michael Derek Cotterill was convicted of a string of serious sexual offences including indecent assault and inciting children to commit acts of gross indecency.

Police begun their investigation of Cotterill in June 2022, when a woman reported being abused by him as a child in the 1980s.

During the force's enquiries, a second allegation was made by a woman of a similar age but who was unknown to the first victim.

Cotterill was found guilty in January, following a week-long trial, of seven sexual offences and common assault.

In a statement after his jailing by the Royal Court this week, Guernsey Police said he clearly befriended families to get to his victims.

The force praised the women's bravery in coming forward to report what had happened to them.

Detective Chief Inspector Julie Palmer said:

“No child should ever be subjected to this horrific abuse or have their innocence taken away from them in this way. I hope these convictions serve as an important message to people who have been victims of crimes such as these: if they come forward, regardless of when the offence occurred, we will relentlessly pursue offenders and do our best to bring justice for victims.

“If you or someone you know has been the victim do any form of sexual abuse, please report it to the Guernsey Police at any time, no matter how long after the events.”