A paedophile funeral director who was found abused five boys decades ago has died in prison.
Gerald Martin, from Hartlepool, targeted the vulnerable boys over a 20-year period starting in the 1970s.
The boys were in their teens when they were abused by Martin, including at his funeral parlour in Park Road, or at public toilets.
Martin was found guilty of all 14 charges after a three-week trial at Teesside Crown Court in 2016.
Jailing him for 20 years, Judge Simon Phillips QC said Martin had used his profession to carry out the despicable acts, and was a “persistent, predatory paedophile to boys in their early teenage years”.
A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed Martin died on January 28, aged 76.
The spokesperson said: “HMP Wymott prisoner Gerald Martin died on January 28. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
The paedophile was serving his sentence at HMP Wymott near Leyland, Lancashire.
The nature of his death has not been confirmed.
During his trial in 2016, Teesside Crown Court heard that one of the victims was grabbed from a public toilet, bundled into a car and sexually abused at Martin’s funeral parlour in Hartlepool.
Another victim broke down, telling the court: “The abuse has robbed me of happiness, a stable mental mind and everything.”
Other victims had self-harmed; one had attempted suicide eight times.
Martin said he had been “too frightened” to come out because years ago it was “frowned upon”, and he admitted having sexual encounters with men, but not with children.
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Speaking after Martin was found guilty, Detective Sergeant Matt Hollingsworth, of Cleveland Police, said: “I am pleased with today’s result and hope it demonstrates to other victims of sexual abuse that if you do come forward you will be taken seriously, you will be believed and there are lots of professional support organisations that we can put you in touch with which can give you any help you may need.
“This investigation has been a long and complex enquiry carried out by Cleveland Police detectives under Operation Krafft, which began when a victim came forward to police and told us how he had suffered as a child at the hands of Gerald Martin in Hartlepool.
“Gerald Martin was a prominent figure in Hartlepool and clearly thought he was above the law. I hope these convictions serve as a warning to others who may have committed similar despicable acts that they will never be safe from prosecution.”
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