Former football coach Barry Bennell has been sentenced to 31 years on sexual abuse charges involving underage boys.

Per the Guardian's Daniel Taylor, Judge Clement Goldstone described Bennell as ''sheer evil'' as he announced the verdict.

Per the report, 86 more people have come forward during the trial against the former football coach, who worked with Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra during his career.

Now 64 years old, Bennell has already served two prison sentences in the United Kingdom and one in the United States. He was found guilty of 50 offences last week, with the crimes involving a total of 12 players taking place between 1979 and 1990. Those players ranged from eight to 14 years old.

Per Taylor, Goldstone did not hold back as he read the verdict: ''To those boys you appeared as a god...in reality you were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhood and their innocence to satisfy your own perversions.''

Monday's court proceedings marked the first time Bennell faced his victims. The coach spent seven years at Manchester City and was with Crewe from 1984 until 1992. </s> Former football coach and scout Barry Bennell has been sentenced to 31 years for child sexual abuse crimes.

Bennell, 64, was convicted of 43 offences against 11 boys aged eight to 15 between 1979 and 1991 by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court last week.

The former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout admitted to seven charges of indecent assault on three boys before the trial, two of whom were also part of the allegations he was tried on.

Bennell, who had previously appeared via a videolink during his trial, was present in the court room for the first time to hear victim impact statements on Monday prior to his sentencing by judge Clement Goldstone.

Goldstone asked police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider if there is "continuing public interest" in bringing new criminal court proceedings against Bennell based on further allegations.

His former employers City this month issued a statement expressing sympathy with the victims and detailing an internal review launched in 2016, which is on-going and has identified allegations of child sex abuse in relation to two men with potential historic connections to the club, one of whom is Bennell.

Crewe, meanwhile, expressed their "deepest sympathies" to the victims of Bennell, and stressed their commitment to "continue to provide cooperation [to the police] as and when required." </s> LONDON: Former soccer coach Barry Bennell was found guilty of multiple sexual offences against boys in the 1980s, British media reported on Tuesday.



The 64-year-old, who was once a talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and a coach at Manchester City, was convicted of 36 charges including rape and indecent assault by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.

The BBC reported the jury had failed to reach verdicts on seven counts and would continue discussions on Wednesday. It said the judge directed them to find Bennell not guilty on three other counts.

Bennell was charged in November 2016 after prosecutors received a file of evidence from Cheshire Police, the force in charge of the area of northwest England where Crewe Alexandra are based.

Bennell, who had denied 48 alleged offences between 1979 and 1990 relating to 11 complainants, chose not to give evidence in his defence during the month-long trial and appeared by video link from prison due to illness.

He had pleaded guilty before the trial started to seven counts of indecent assault involving three boys.

Allegations of child sex abuse in English soccer from the 1970s through to the 1990s have shocked Britain and led to deep soul-searching in the game amid fears hundreds of young boys might have been involved. </s> LONDON (Reuters) - Former soccer coach Barry Bennell was found guilty of multiple sexual offences against boys in the 1980s, British media reported on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old, who was once a talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and a coach at Manchester City, was convicted of 36 charges including rape and indecent assault by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.

The BBC reported the jury had failed to reach verdicts on seven counts and would continue discussions on Wednesday. It said the judge directed them to find Bennell not guilty on three other counts.

Bennell was charged in November 2016 after prosecutors received a file of evidence from Cheshire Police, the force in charge of the area of northwest England where Crewe Alexandra are based.

Bennell, who had denied 48 alleged offences between 1979 and 1990 relating to 11 complainants, chose not to give evidence in his defence during the month-long trial and appeared by video link from prison due to illness.

He had pleaded guilty before the trial started to seven counts of indecent assault involving three boys.

Allegations of child sex abuse in English soccer from the 1970s through to the 1990s have shocked Britain and led to deep soul-searching in the game amid fears hundreds of young boys might have been involved. </s> DISGRACED FORMER FOOTBALL coach Barry Bennell was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for abusing 12 boys he coached between 1979 and 1991, with the judge branding him “sheer evil”.

Bennell, 64, who coached at Manchester City and other teams, was found guilty last week of dozens of child sexual offences, including indecent assault, buggery and attempted buggery.

Police have said scores more complainants have come forward since the case started, bringing the number of possible victims to more than 100.

“You were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhoods and their innocence to satisfy your own perversion,” Judge Clement Goldstone said as he read out the sentence in a court in Liverpool, northwest England.

“Your behaviour towards these boys in grooming and seducing them before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse was sheer evil.”

Bennell, who has already served three jail terms totalling 15 years for similar offences involving 16 other victims, stared at the floor and nodded as Goldstone handed down the sentence.

Some members of the public began to applaud as he was sent down, but the judge ordered them to stop.

He outlined how Bennell’s abuse had destroyed the enthusiasm his victims felt for football and caused them to suffer problems including suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and depression.

Earlier in the hearing Monday, one of his victims walked over to the courtroom dock and calmly said: “Barry. Barry. Why?”

During his six-week trial, Bennell was accused of committing “industrial scale” levels of abuse against vulnerable pre-pubescent boys in his care.

Victims told how he had a “power hold” over them as they dreamed of becoming professional footballers.

Bennell’s latest crimes emerged in late 2016 when former Liverpool and Tottenham star Paul Stewart broke his 40-year silence and revealed how he was abused as a teenager, shortly after former Crewe player Andy Woodward went public with allegations against Bennell.

The case has sparked wider allegations of sexual and physical abuse of boys at football clubs across Britain in the 1970s and 1980s, some of whom went on to become heroes of the terraces and international stars.

Nearly 800 victims have come forward against more than 100 coaches, leading to accusations that some of the game’s most famous and loved clubs covered up allegations of abuse of boys in their care. </s> Former football coach Barry Bennell has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for 50 counts of child sex abuse.

Bennell, 64, was convicted of raping and molesting 12 boys aged eight to 15 between 1979 and 1991.

Judge Clement Goldstone QC described Bennell as "sheer evil" as he handed down the verdict.

"To those boys you appeared as a god... in reality you were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhood and their innocence to satisfy your own perversions," he said.

The judge said that Bennell had left a "trail of psychological devastation", with victims crying "yes" as the sentence was read out.

Victims told the court they had suffered from anxiety, depression, panic attacks and PTSD as a result of the abuse.

"I did not want it, did not ask for it and did not enjoy it. I was a child, and between the ages of 10 to 13 that monster decided it was fun for him to use me as a sex toy, someone that he could get his kicks from," one victim told the court.

"He took my innocence, my virginity and my football career. He preyed on his victims, groomed us while grooming our parents," he said.

"Even though it's over it's not over because it will always be in my head. No one should have to go through what that man put us through," another victim said.

The prosecution described Bennell, who watched from the docks as his victims read out impact statements, as an "industrial-scale child molester" and a "predatory and determined paedophile."

It was the first time Bennell appeared in front of his victims as he made his appearance via video-link throughout the rest of his five-week trial. </s> Barry Bennell, the serial pedophile whose abuse of young boys rocked the world of soccer, was described as "the devil incarnate" after being sentenced to 31 years in jail on Monday.

The 64-year-old former football coach, now known as Richard Jones, was sentenced for 50 counts of child sexual abuse against 12 boys between the ages of eight and 15 from 1979 to 1991.

During his summation, Judge Clement Goldstone QC told Liverpool Crown Court that Bennell's actions were "sheer evil."

"Your behavior towards these boys in grooming and seducing them before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse was sheer evil."

He added that Bennell had appeared to his victims as a god, adding: "In reality, you were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhoods and their innocence to satisfy your own perversion." </s> Serial paedophile Barry Bennell was labelled "the devil incarnate" as he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for abusing young boys. Former football coach Bennell will serve half his sentence in custody with the rest on licence, with an additional licence period of one year. The 64-year-old had been convicted of 50 child sexual offences against 12 boys who he coached, which took place between 1979 and 1991.

Police now believe Bennell may have more than 100 victims in total. He has already served three jail terms, totalling 15 years, for similar offences involving 16 other victims. A further 86 people have now come forward to say they too were abused by him. Today, some of his victims had a chance to confront him face-to-face as they gave their impact statements in court. Victim Gary Cliffe approached the former Crewe Alexandra coach in the dock to ask "why?", but got no reply. In his statement, Mr Cliffe said it was still "hard to effectively put into words the hell and mental suffering I have endured", 30 years on from the abuse. He added: "I look back on my childhood with regret and deep sadness."

Another victim, Christopher Unsworth, said Bennell "destroyed" his childhood dreams of being a footballer. "What is now even more upsetting for me is the realisation that I have sacrificed my own chance of having a family of my own due to a medical procedure I elected for," he said. "I made this decision because of the overwhelming fear I had of not being able to protect my own children against predatory people like Bennell, and I could not risk the same horrendous abuse happening to them." He added: "Today I give my guilt and shame I have carried over the years back to you." Bennell, who wore a blue jumper and white polo shirt for the hearing, looked at the floor as victims read out their impact statements. He repeatedly shook his head and mouthed "no" as the judge summarised his offences in the sentencing. The coach smirked as he was led from the dock to begin his lengthy sentence.

Speaking outside court, victim Andy Woodward, whose decision to go public led to the latest trial, said he had mixed emotions. He said: "No sentence is long enough for that man and right to the death he didn't show any remorse or say sorry to anyone." Steve Walters, who was also abused, said Bennell had shown "not one ounce of remorse, not one shred of decency" throughout the case. Survivors urged others who are suffering abuse to speak out as they pledged to help others within sport. Mr Unsworth said the support they had received through the criminal case showed that ultimately "Love will always conquer evil." Detective Inspector Sarah Oliver of Cheshire Police said she hoped the sentence would bring some closure to those he attacked. "No term of imprisonment can ever return a childhood taken away but I hope that this sentence will serve as a beacon of light to others that have been abused," she said. "No matter how long ago that has taken place, justice can still be served and offenders can still be held to account." </s> Former youth coach Barry Bennell was found guilty of multiple counts of child sexual abuse on Tuesday in a case that rocked English football, triggering hundreds of revelations. Bennell, 64, a former coach at Crewe Alexandra who was also associated with Manchester City, is being tried on 48 counts of abuse between 1979 and 1990.

New revelations in 2016 about Bennell, who had previously received three prison sentences for similar offences, prompted more than 350 calls to a special emergency line set up by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said at the time there were “moral consequences of failing to deal with some of these issues in the past” and ordered an inquiry into the handling of abuse cases.

The jury on Tuesday delivered partial verdicts and will resume deliberations on Wednesday. They found Bennell guilty on two charges of indecently assaulting one young boy between 1979 and 1982. He was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and two counts of buggery against a second complainant.

Bennell was also found guilty of four counts of indecent assault against a third complainant. Bennell appeared at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England via videolink due to illness.
Former coach Barry Bennell is sentenced to 31 years in prison for 50 offences against 12 boys between 1979 and 1990.