A man has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing three schoolboys more than three decades ago, with a police constable now urging other victims to come forward.
Philip Watson, 60, of Beach Road, South Shields, sexually assaulted three schoolboys on separate occasions across the 1990s. Watson worked at the former Maplewood School, in Sunderland, which catered for children with social and emotional difficulties.
The offences were reported to have occurred on the school bus, in the school showers, and at a summer camp organised by the school.
Previous conviction and new allegations
Watson was previously jailed for six years in 2017 after committing a string of child sex offences against three other boys linked to the same employment role. Those charges included five counts of indecent assault on a male, one sexual assault, and one sexual assault on a child under the age of 13. As part of his previous sentence, he was ordered to spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders' Register and was handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Two subsequent investigations into Watson's offending were launched when three further victim-survivors came forward to report the same type of abuse. Watson was interviewed by officers in connection with the new allegations but denied any form of wrongdoing.
In July 2024 and then again in January last year, Watson was charged with a total of four counts of indecent assault – the offences took place before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003.
Sentencing and police message
Last week, Watson stood trial at Newcastle Crown Court, where he was found guilty of all four offences. Yesterday (Thursday), he attended the same court where he was sentenced to seven years in prison. He will remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and his lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) will continue to be in place.
Leading the investigation from Northumbria Police was Police Constable Colin Ramshaw. Speaking after Watson's sentencing hearing, he said: "The effects of Philip Watson's offending have proven to have lasted a lifetime for the victim-survivors he abused. Even though these offences occurred decades ago, it's clear the damage he has caused has not diminished with time. Watson has consistently refused to take accountability to what he did to these boys - now men - and I am pleased that they've been able to hold their abuser to account after all this time."
PC Ramshaw added: "I hope this case acts as a reminder to those who think they can rest easy because the offences happened years ago – we will find you and we will put you before the courts. To victim-survivors who are unsure about coming forward, I want to assure you that there is no time limit on justice. Whether the offences happened days, weeks, months, years or even decades ago, please tell us – we're here for you."
Anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, should contact police using the 'Report' pages on the Northumbria Police website, or send the Force a direct message on social media. Anyone unable to report this way should call 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is ongoing, always call 999. To report a crime anonymously, contact independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.
