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Blackheath school bus driver Eric Cox jailed for sex abuse

Eric Cox, 67, was convicted of sexually abusing a vulnerable boy <i>(Image: Sussex Police)</i>
Eric Cox, 67, was convicted of sexually abusing a vulnerable boy (Image: Sussex Police)
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A school bus driver who sexually abused a vulnerable boy in Blackheath has been jailed. 

Eric Cox, 67, was already a serving prisoner having been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2016 for the systematic sexual abuse and rape of another young boy starting in 2011. 

The paedophile was due to be released soon having served two-thirds of the sentence, but last Thursday (April 16) he was sentenced to a further seven-and-a-half years in prison. 

He was convicted of three charges of indecent assault and one charge of buggery related to the historic sexual abuse of a boy more than three decades ago, beginning when Cox was in his 30s. 

Prosecutor Robert Meikle said Cox exploited his position of trust as a bus driver in south-east London to target and sexually abuse the vulnerable young boy over a number of years. 

The victim said he could not escape Cox but did not tell anyone because the abuse distorted his view of right and wrong, the court heard.  

The abuse was reported to the police in 2020.  


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Judge David Miller said it is clear the victim was caused “severe and lasting psychological harm”. 

Judge Miller decided that although Cox’s offending pre-dated the offending for which he was already in prison, it was just that his latest prison sentence should be served consecutively. 

He will spend at least two-thirds of the latest sentence behind bars before he is eligible for release. 

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