Former police officer sentenced for historic sex offences

Timothy Lively was cleared of nine sexual offences and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further 14 charges of sexual offences against children

A former police officer who sexually abused a girl while he was a cadet has been given a suspended sentence.

Timothy Lively carried out the abuse during the 1970s. He was found guilty in 2019 of two counts of indecent assault and gross indecency.

The 62-year-old from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for 18 months at the same court on Monday.

Warwick Crown Court heard he is now in a wheelchair.

Lively had committed the offences when he was a serving Warwickshire Police officer or earlier as a cadet, and also volunteered at a children's home, prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC had told the court.

He was accused at the age of about 17 of entering a bathroom at the home while a girl, aged between 10 and 12, was having a bath and committing sexual offences and touched her inappropriately on another occasion.

The victim did not lodge a complaint at the time, but told officers about the incidents when she was contacted later by police who were investigating other complaints against him.

Lively is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the court heard

He was cleared of nine other sexual offences at the same time and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further 14 charges of sexual offences against children.

At the time Miss Cottage asked for time to consider whether to ask for a retrial on those outstanding matters and the court was later told one would be requested.

But after a series of delays, including Lively making two attempts to take his own life, Miss Cottage said it had now been decided not to pursue that in the light of psychiatric reports on him.

Sentencing Lively, Judge Anthony Potter said he befriended the victim and "exploited her trust".

"I sentence you for offences you committed over 40 years ago and were convicted of over two years ago," he said.

"Your personal circumstances were very different. You came from a loving home, and she was in care at the home where you volunteered.

"She was particularly vulnerable, something which you quickly identified."

Det Sgt Jen Baker said: "Lively preyed on a vulnerable young girl who he should have been helping to safeguard and protect. His past has now caught up with him."

• Latest news from the West Midlands