An “honest, and caring man of morals and integrity” who worked with vulnerable adults and children for more than 30 years has been jailed after historic sexual abuse allegations came to light.
Damien Riley, of Ewood, Oldham, was convicted of 16 incidents of inappropriate sexual activity against four young boys in the Oldham area in the 1980s, when he was a teenager, by a jury at the Lowry Threatre in Salford last month.
The 55-year-old, who still denies all 13 charges he was convicted of, appeared today, July 16, at Manchester Crown Court in Minshull Street to be sentenced for his crimes, which left one young victim so traumatised he thought about taking his own life aged just seven.
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Mark Monaghan, prosecuting, explained that Riley would face a shorter sentence than someone accused of the same crimes today due to changes in the law.
The maximum sentence for these crimes in the 1980s was ten years imprisonment, rather than the life sentence that could be given for the crime that is now called oral rape of a child.
He said: "There were four victims in this case, all of the counts allege indecent assault on a male person, except count seven which is an allegation of indecency with a child.
"At the time, the max sentence for each of these offences was 10 years imprisonment, whilst the max sentence for count seven is two years.
"The max sentences that were in force at the time of the offence are the maximum sentences your honour can impose."
Simon Blakebrough, defending, urged Judge Angela Nield to be lenient with his client, as he was finding imprisonment very difficult.
He reminded the court of the “exemplary” character references given on behalf of Riley from his wife, brother, and stepson, and discussed how being incarcerated had exacerbated his client's health complaints of high blood pressure and a bad back.
Addressing the court, he said: "What he will be sentenced for needs to be put in the context of a very blameless and a very positive life.
"He had been working in care industry looking after vulnerable adults and even children without any complaints or discipline for 33 years, and that employment will now be closed to him forever.
"He's now married to somebody he was in a relationship with during the course of this offending, and she was very shocked and surprised at the jury’s decision.
"This will be his first time in prison and he’s found it very difficult, he has suffered in a physical and psychological way and others, particularly his wife, suffer in a similar way.
"These allegations began when Riley was 13, a child himself, and the vast bulk of it occurred when he was either a child or a young person under 18, and if an offender was very young or immature at the time this may be regarded during sentencing, which I request be done."
Mr Blakeborough also disputed Mr Monaghan's claim that the young age of the victims, who were as young as five when Riley's sordid abuse began, made them extremely vulnerable due to their age, claiming this addition to the aggravating factors was intended to cover babies and toddlers, a point Judge Nield eventually agreed with.
Sentencing Riley to ten years imprisonment, Judge Nield said: "The victims of your offending behaviour were four in number - they were children, children who all lived on the same estate in very different times to now, when it was commonplace for groups of children to play together on the street.
"When those children were believed, usually with good cause, to be safe by their parents, safety in numbers; sadly in this case that was far from the truth.
"Each of them was undoubtedly damaged by that behaviour and by their premature and inappropriate exposure to sexual experiences.
"For your first victim this offending occurred over the longest and most persistent period of time.
"The second experienced similar abuse, and was the subject of your admiration for a truncated period of time.
"It was only by chance that this behaviour came to an end because he was given alcohol, something which his father readily recognised upon his return home, and he made clear to your family and his son that he should have nothing more to do with you.
"His father was not aware of what was really happening, and perhaps that's fortunate given his response to his vulnerable son being given alcohol.
"All these young men were part and parcel of a group of children who should have been enjoying the delights of playing with their friends and the games that were enjoyed in the streets of Oldham, but there was a very much darker undercurrent on that street."
One of Riley's victims clutched his mother tightly as the pair shed tears when the sentence was read out, whilst another put his head into his hands upon hearing the term.
Riley will serve at least five years in prison, before meeting with the parole board to determine whether he can be released on licence.
An additional term of one year will be added to Riley's licence whenever he is released from prison.
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