Man jailed for 'catalogue of abuse' against two boys

William Duggan was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon

A "sick and twisted" man who sexually abused two young boys on the Isle of Man over a 13-year period has been jailed for 11 years.

William Duggan, 35, attacked the children when they were between the ages of six and 16, sometimes while playing computer games with them.

Douglas Courthouse heard Duggan was himself aged just 10 when he first targeted one of the victims.

Deemster Graeme Cook said Duggan was a "liar" who had perpetrated a “catalogue of abuse" against the boys.

The court heard Duggan, of Douglas, had attacked the boys when they got together to exchange or play computer games between 2000 and 2012.

He was found guilty of a total of 14 offences – five of gross indecency and nine of indecent assault – against children under the age of 16 following a trial at Douglas Courthouse in July.

'Sick and twisted'

In statements read to the court, one of the victims said Duggan “took my childhood away”, and flashbacks of the abuse had become more frequent since he had reported it.

The other victim described Duggan as “perverted, sick and twisted”, and said his actions had “created a dark grey cloud that loomed over my life”.

His defence advocate said what had started as “experimentation” had gone on to become something “darker and more abhorrent” but was behaviour that became “normalised for him”.

Deemster Cook said the evidence given by both victims at the trail had been “compelling” and the abuse had caused them both “severe psychological harm”.

The deemster said, while both victims had been accused of telling lies during the trial, the only liar was Duggan himself.

The 35-year-old was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which bans him from contacting his victims and places strict restrictions on his contact with anyone under the age of 16.