WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT A sick and twisted stepfather who tormented his stepson for years in a grim campaign of sexual abuse has been jailed
A twisted stepfather who subjected his stepson to a grim campaign of sexual abuse and cruelty has been jailed after being slammed by a judge.
Kevin Cross, whose vile abuse included tying the young victim to the rafters of an attic as well as hitting him with knives and fork and multiple incidents of sexual abuse, was jailed for more than a decade after a trial at Truro Crown Court on Friday, during which he was labelled a “Jekyll and Hyde character”.
As per the Falmouth Packet, Cross was convicted of multiple incidents of child cruelty beginning when the victim was only nine, as well as committing a serious sexual offence and indecently assaulting the boy up until the age of 16 in St Austell, Cornwall during the 1980s.
The victim has not been named publicly, although it is known that they tragically died from cancer a month before the guilty verdict aged just 53.
The jury heard how a now 69-year-old Cross, who is from Falmouth in Cornwall, would inflict the boy to “prolonged incidents of sadistic behaviour on multiple occasions”, as well sexually assaulting him while he pretended to sleep.
Cross would also abuse his stepson by hitting him with cutlery for being a “fussy eater”, tying his hands behind his back, and throwing water on him while he lay in bed.
Cross would also bind the boy’s hands and feet together and tie him to the rafters of the attic on multiple occasions, leaving him dangling for hours in what the judge described as an act of “gratuitous degradation”
His Honour Recorder Christopher Quinlan, KC, was told that Cross became something of a “Jekyll and Hyde” character after drinking alcohol.
The years long campaign of abuse was eventually brought to an end when Cross was caught sexually abusing the victim.
He has been jailed for 12 years having, according to the Cornish and Devon Post, been found guilty of attempted anal intercourse and indecently assaulting a boy.
He was told that he must serve at least half of the sentence in custody and sign onto the Sex Offenders’ Register for the rest of his life.
If you have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge’s 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247.