Lee Begbie was sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2003 after raping a teenager

Lee Begbie was sentenced to 19 years in prison following a series of serious sexual assaults between January and October 2003.

A court heard that Begbie befriended the boy in a shop and subsequently raped him three times in Attleborough after inviting the child to his home under the pretense of looking at his car.

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In the years that followed, the victim became suicidal, his marriage failed, and he missed the childhoods of many of his children because of the things Begbie did to him as a teenager.

He reported the crimes in 2019, which triggered a police investigation.

This resulted in Begbie, 71, of Fryup, Whitby, appearing at Teesside Crown Court on Monday after he was previously found guilty and sentenced to 19 years in prison following a week-long trial.

He was charged on May 13, 2021, with three counts of serious sexual offenses against a child under the age of 16.

After the incident, his victim said: “I clearly remember feeling very numb and frightened at that time and in the years that followed.”

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“Before I went public, I had already planned how I would end my life.

“The crimes committed against me directly resulted in my inability to deal with the emotions, which ultimately led to the failure of my marriage.

“I missed many of my own children growing up because I wasn’t there for them emotionally and couldn’t support them as much as I would have liked.”

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Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Matt Hendry said: “This sentence goes some way to reflecting the seriousness and gravity of Begbie’s offending and the significant impact it has had on the victim and his wider family.

“I would like to take this opportunity to commend the victim for his courage in giving evidence and helping to protect the public from a dangerous offender. I hope this verdict will aid his recovery and help him to move on from what happened.”

Victims of sexual offences living in Norfolk can contact the Harbour Centre free of charge 24 hours a day on 01603 276381.