Serial Sunderland paedophile given new 16-year jail term after eighth victim comes forward

Stan Simpson is already serving a 24-year jail term imposed in 2016 for multiple, historic, rapes and assaults on seven victims, both male and female and aged between eight and 16 years old.

The 53-year-old former advice worker, from Pennywell, Sunderland, has now been back before Newcastle Crown Court after an eighth victim bravely broke his silence.

Simpson denied five offences of indecency with a child and two of a serious sexual assault on the victim, who was just a teenager when he was repeatedly attacked in the early 1980s, but was found guilty by a jury.

The court heard Simpson, who appeared at the sentence hearing via video link to top security HMP Frankland, had repeatedly attacked the boy and used "emotional blackmail" and threats to keep him quiet.

As a result, the victim's life has been blighted by his sickening ordeal and he has has "suicidal thoughts".

He said in an impact statement: "I felt I must report this in order to set myself free."

Simpson claimed the man, who had to relive his ordeal by giving evidence, was lying about what he did to him so he could get compensation but jurors unanimously believed the victim.

Judge Stephen Earl said the new 16 year term will not, in reality, extend Simpson's current length of sentence as they will be served concurrently.

But the judge said the imposition of the prison term may give the victim some "closure".

Judge Earl said: "He has carried this burden with him for a considerable number of years.

"He was accused of being a person for whom only compensation was the issue and that he was jumping on the bandwagon by the defendant.

"That is not the view the jury took when convicting him, unanimously, on all charges."

The judge told Simpson: "You preyed upon him and groomed him to the point where he was powerless against your carefully laid plans to ensnare him in your sexual depravities."

Simpson is already on the sex offenders register for life.