A man who subjected a young boy to ‘heinous’ sexual abuse has finally been jailed – 30 years after committing the crimes.
David James Kitching, 59, of no fixed address but from the Thirsk area, was found guilty of all nine charges after a three-day trial at York Crown Court.
Today (Thursday), he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Committed during the 1990s, the offences involved three counts of indecent assault and six counts of gross indecency.
He was also given an extended prison release licence of one year and he will remain on the Register of Sex Offenders indefinitely.
Kitching’s offending was reported to North Yorkshire Police in January 2021 by the brave victim.
Now married and with two young children of his own, he had disclosed the shocking abuse he had suffered as a young boy to his wife four months earlier.
‘Truly heartbreaking’
In a statement read to the court by the victim’s wife, she said the revelations turned their life upside down.
“What came in September 2020 was nothing I could have ever imagined having to go through. Having to listen to my husband tell me that he wanted to kill himself and drive a kitchen knife into his skull to stop the flashbacks he was experiencing, was truly heartbreaking.
“Over the coming months, I had to ensure that he did not take his own life and became his protector from the world, whilst also trying to raise our children without them feeling the hurt and pain around them.”
Since her husband had a breakdown she had lived “with an element of uncertainty and anxiety for how my life may look in the future”.
“The feelings of sadness, anger and anxiety did not end with a guilty verdict. In fact, the guilty verdict was only the beginning of this chapter for my husband.
“It will never undo what happened to him and it will never give him back his childhood.
“It will never give him back the time he lost with his own children and it will never undo the strain it has had on our marriage and our mental health.”
Additional trauma
Led by Detective Constable Jason Roper of Hambleton and Richmondshire CID, the detailed investigation resulted in the charges being laid in July 2022. Kitching first appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on 1 September.
DC Roper said: “Kitching now has a long time to reflect on his heinous offending while in prison.
“During the trial, he tried to present himself as a respected member of the community and as a former scout leader.
“He also tried to discredit the victim and made all sorts of ludicrous suggestions to undermine his harrowing account.
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“Kitching continues to protest his innocence, even though he was found guilty by the jury.
“This is the true measure of the man and it underlines his sheer cruelty in subjecting the victim to the additional trauma of reliving the sickening abuse at the trial.”
He praised the “incredibly courageous” victim.
“I have nothing but respect for his bravery in coming forward to the police and allowing justice to be secured in this case.
“I have witnessed first-hand the deep distress the proceedings have had on him and his immediate family.
“He was incredibly courageous during the trial and his testimony was profound and compelling.
“I thank the jury for seeing through Kitching’s lies and convicting him on all nine charges.”
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