March 2022

Paedophile jailed for 17 years after ‘horrific sexual abuse’ of schoolgirl

A 73-year-old paedophile from Northern Ireland who sexually abused a Cambridgeshire schoolgirl for eight years in the 1980s has been brought to justice more than three decades later. 

Bernard Taylor’s “horrific” abuse of the girl in Peterborough continued until she became an older teenager and he tried to rape her. 

The offences only came to light in 2018 when Taylor’s victim confided in someone she knew. 

Taylor, now of Lisnamon Court, Londonderry, was interviewed but gave a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement in the abuse and claimed his victim was lying. 

He also claimed he had never been sexually attracted to children at any stage of his life. 

The 73-year-old stood trial at Norwich Crown Court in November, where jurors found him guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 and one count of attempting to rape a woman over the age of 16. 

He was handed an 18-year sentence at the same court on Wednesday (March 9), comprising a 17-year jail term and one year on licence.  

Taylor was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.