Former social worker, 90, jailed for abusing boy in 1980s

Bill Cranston, now aged 90, was today jailed for 12 years after molesting the youngster throughout the 1980s.

Cranston began his attacks when the boy was living at the Oakhill Centre, Harborne - then a reception for children seeking foster families or long-term care.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how the years of abuse started during Cranston's night shift rounds at the children's home on Oakhill Close.

After grooming the boy, the social worker subjected his victim to regular sexual assaults throughout his teens, including after Cranston, of Bradford Road, Castle Bromwich, had left social services.

The victim lived with the torment for more than three decades before receiving counselling and telling police about the abuse in 2015. He even provided a recording of a phone conversation in which Cranston confessed after being quizzed about the attacks.

Cranston, who worked at several care homes in Birmingham, went on to admit three child sex charges and a number of indecent assaults and was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court today.

Dc Jonathan Barker, from West Midlands Police's Public Protection Unit, said Cranston had 'created the façade of a caring father figure' to get close to the boy and control him.

"Cranston took advantage of his position and access to vulnerable children," the detective said.

"He regularly sneaked into the boy's bedroom when working night shifts at the home and inappropriately touched him."

"His actions were purely selfish and with a view to grooming the boy for his own sexual gratification."

Dc Barker appealed to any further victims of Cranston to come forward, saying: "The victim feared that, as the offences occurred more than 30 years ago, he wouldn't be believed and police wouldn't be able to prosecute; he even went to the lengths of secretly recording a phone call between them in a bid to get his own evidence.

"There is no need for people to such harbour concerns: we have a successful track record of securing justice even in cases where abuse has taken place decades earlier.

"West Midlands Police also has a dedicated historic abuse team featuring officers who are specially trained to secure evidence and support abuse survivors through the police and courts process.

"We believe Cranston's employment in the 1980s would have brought him into contact with children at several care homes in Birmingham.

"If anyone else has suffered at his hands I'd urge them to get in touch so we can equally secure justice for them."

To contact West Midlands Police's Public Protection Unit call 101.