A prolific sexual deviant who subjected his victims to years of terrifying abuse 40 years ago was jailed on Friday at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for four and a half years.
Kenneth Rushworth, 71, of Coniston Road, Stretford, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child and causing actual bodily harm and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Three victims suffered abuse at the hands of Rushworth between 1972 and 1978 with two of the victims’ just teenage girls when the assault first happened.
Detective Constable Rachel Di Nicola said: “It is very brave of them to have come forward after this many years and now they will be able to hopefully get closure for these events and progress with their lives. The length of the sentence reflects the serious nature of the offences committed.
“I understand that victims often feel that the easiest thing to do is simply try and forget about the past and keep their experiences bottled up.
“But you can never really shake off what has happened, while the person who carries out this offending often lives a normal, free life.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Greater Manchester Police is committed to thoroughly investigating all reports of historic abuse and that we can make the experience as easy as possible for the victims.”
Anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual assault can contact Greater Manchester Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. GMP has specially trained officers in place to provide a first class response to victims and help support them through the criminal justice process.
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
