A local man has today been found guilty of 19 child sex offences by Gibraltar’s Supreme Court.

Graham Southwell, 63, of the Varyl Begg Estate, was remanded at HM Prison Windmill Hill following the verdicts from the jury.

He will be sentenced at the Supreme Court on Wednesday 11 December. 

The offences against five victims took place between 1990 and 2016 and included the rape of a child under 13 and sexual activity with a child.

The jury took 90 minutes to deliberate. Southwell was found not guilty on one charge.

Commenting on the verdicts, the Commissioner of the Royal Gibraltar Police, Richard Ullger, said: “Firstly, we want to thank the victims in this case, who have shown such tremendous courage in reporting these sickening crimes and for their trust in the Royal Gibraltar Police to bring Southwell to justice.

“We hope these verdicts send a clear message that our officers will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually assault children, whenever that abuse took place.

“Our thanks go out to everyone who was involved in supporting this extremely complex, protracted and sensitive investigation, including the officers from our Safeguarding Team, who have worked hard to collect evidence against Southwell. It is an example of the unseen policing that many of specialised teams of officers do.”

Detective Sergeant Jo Ullger, who heads the RGP’s Safeguarding Team, continued: “We hope these verdicts will help bring the victims some closure and allow them to move on with their lives. 

“As this case shows, we treat all reports of non-recent sexual offences seriously and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.

“I would like to thank my officers for investigating such a complex case and some of the most heinous crimes. This has taken an emotional toll. We are pleased to say that justice has been served.

“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago – is urged to come forward and report it to the RGP by calling 200 72500 or reporting it on our website.”