Following his conviction at trial in February, Timothy Darch, 62, of Southrop Road, Kingsway, Quedgeley, was sentenced today, March 28, at Swindon Crown Court.
Darch, a former Wiltshire parish councillor and veteran of the RAF, was found guilty of four charges of rape and four counts of indecent assault on a lad under sixteen.
Three teenagers, ages 14 and 15, were the victims of the crimes, which happened between 1996 and 1997.
One of his victims testified before the court, saying of him: “Since I was a young child when we first met, it was simple for him to manipulate, sexualize, and abuse me.
“My entire life has been impacted by the harm he inflicted upon me. He was skilled at manipulating me and other people to achieve his goals by playing a variety of mind games.
“I came out because I was concerned he was abusing other people the same way he had me. It has taken me a lot of strength to get this far, and I wish I had the courage to speak up sooner.
“While I understand that no amount of justice will ever be able to make up for what I have lost, I am hoping that this will all come to some sort of resolution.”
“Tim transported me into an unreal world,” another person remarked. when having fun was more important than work and duty.
By the time I was sixteen, I was abusing drugs and alcohol to cope with the education he provided me. It eased the pain of enduring my reality and the memory of what Tim had done to me.
