Martin Tidder was jailed (Image: POLICE)
A man who sexually abused three victims when they were young boys, including raping one of them, has been jailed. The victims of the non-recent crimes suffered “catastrophic” and “seismic” damage from the serious sexual abuse they experienced when they were children, Hull Crown Court heard.
Following an eight-day trial at Hull Crown Court concluding earlier this month, Martin Tidder, 36-years-old, of Brazil Street in Hull, was found guilty of four counts of rape, four counts of assaulting a boy by touching, three counts of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of sexual assault of a child. He had denied the offences. After being remanded in custody, he appeared at Hull Crown Court today, February 13, for sentencing.
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In a statement released following the sentencing, Humberside Police said to have first received a report from a man in December 2021 who wanted to disclose non-recent sexual abuse against him and someone he knew when they were children.
The force said initial enquiries established that Tidder would show the man “cartoon porn” when he was between the ages of 10 and 14-years-old, and on one occasion he was woken up by Tidder sexually assaulting him.
Police said to have received a second report a few weeks later, in January 2022, from another man alleging he was raped by Tidder on a regular basis over around 11 years, starting when he was just six or seven. A third man later came forward with similar reports shortly after, the force said.
Martin Tidder. (Image: Humberside Police)
David Godfrey, prosecuting, told the court that the harm caused by Tidder had been “severe” and one of the victims described it as “disgustingly destructive”.
Another victim condemned the “selfish and manipulative behaviour” of Tidder and said that the abuse caused a serious emotional effect. A third victim said that the abuse had a “massive effect”, Hull Live reports.
Mr Godfrey told the court: “Grooming is a key feature.” Tidder took steps to prevent the victims reporting the matters to the police, he added. There had been a “seismic” effect because of the offences, he also said.
During the trial, Mr Godfrey told Tidder: “You sexually abused all three of them, didn’t you? These three lads are telling the truth. You sexually abused them.” Tidder replied: “No.” He told the court: “It didn’t happen.”
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One of the victims told a sentencing hearing that Tidder was “laughing throughout the whole case”, Hull Live reports.
Julia Baggs, mitigating, said: “The defendant was convicted after a trial and there is little that can be said in the circumstances.” She said of the offences: “It’s clearly had an impact on everyone.”
Tidder had previously worked full-time and he had the support of some people who knew him. After he is released from prison, he will be on extended licence of one year. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.
In a statement issued by Humberside Police after today’s hearing, one of the victims said: “Some men never share their abuse, some reveal it on their deathbed, I want to change that. I want to stand by those boys and tell them it is okay to speak out.”
Detective Constable Rebecca Davison from Humberside Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said: “Rape and sexual abuse against boys and men is wildly underreported, and I would like to start by acknowledging and commending the three men for coming forward and reporting what had happened to them as such young children.
“It is never easy to report crimes of this nature, especially as an adult who was subjected to horrific crimes and stripped of innocence at such a young age, but because one of them initially opened up to someone they trusted, this led to a ripple effect of disclosures against Tidder, enabling detectives to build a significant case against him and bring him before the courts, even years after he committed the crimes.”
Detective Constable Rebecca added: “We wouldn’t be here today without the bravery and strength shown by the men who have not only supported and stuck by each other throughout the entirety of what has been a very lengthy and complex investigation, but despite everything they had been through they were all still willing to give evidence which has ultimately led us to get some kind of justice for them.
“We take reports of rape, and other sexual offences, both recent and non-recent, extremely seriously and will continue to seek justice for those who have suffered at the hands of such sordid individuals like Tidder. No matter your age or gender, or whether the offences took place yesterday or 30 years ago, we would encourage you to tell someone you trust and report it to the police. Hear from another brave sexual abuse survivor who waived her legal right to lifelong anonymity to tell her story and encourage more people to come forward and tell someone.”