Two jailed for sexual abuse of children in 1980s

William Douglas (left) was jailed for 14 years, while David Jordan was jailed for five years

Two men have been jailed for sexually abusing children in the 1980s.

One victim, 10 at the time, was targeted by David Jordan, who was working as a milkman in Birmingham.

Separately, William Douglas, 58, started abusing the same child when he was 13. They met while the defendant was helping to build a playground near the city's Bromford estate.

Douglas was jailed for 14 years for offences against two boys, with the court hearing he had trafficked and prostituted one to other men. Jordan, 74, was sentenced to five years for offences against one child.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of abuse which some people may find distressing.

Judge Kerry Maylin told Douglas that the victim was "clearly a troubled young man" and that she had no doubt he had profited from encouraging the boy to have sex with other men.

She said: "You befriended him and gained his trust and to him you were clearly an exciting prospect.

"You took advantage of that boy's trust and sexually abused him. You sexually abused a young boy and told him he could earn money by having sex with men.

"He was scared of you. You prostituted him out as a rent boy and took him to other places around the country. You encouraged him to take drugs and he took money from other men to fund dependency on drugs and alcohol."

Birmingham Crown Court heard one victim had been trafficked and prostituted to other men by Douglas

Addressing Jordan, Judge Maylin said the then 10-year-old had helped him with his milk round, but was later taken to a flat where he was abused.

She said the boy had trusted him and that then spiralled in how he proceeded with his life and led him into being abused by the second defendant.

Douglas's abuse of that victim dated between 1986 and 1989, with further abuse of a second victim between 1989 and 1990.

The 58-year-old, from Birmingham, was convicted in June of four counts of indecent assault on a male person, two of indecency with a child, conspiracy to commit indecent assault on a male person and conspiracy to commit gross indecency with a child under 14.

The court also heard he had two prior convictions in 1991.

Jordan, also from Birmingham, was convicted of seven counts of indecent assault on a male person.

'Let down'

In an impact statement read in court, the one victim of both men, now in his 40s, said he had turned to drugs and alcohol as a child to cope with the abuse, "numb the pain" and suppress his memories.

He said the offences, carried out over several years, had left him with "lasting difficulties in forming relationships", anxiety, low confidence and "a deep sense of disgust" in himself, as well as mental health problems.

The victim reported the abuse in 2018 and in his impact statement said the time taken to bring the case to trial meant he had been unable to move on with his life, leaving him feeling "let down".

He said the process had "triggered painful and traumatic memories" and led him to drink more heavily. He said his trust in the system had been "completely broken".

f you are affected by any of the issues raised in this report, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.