This Time, Mum Was 'Right'

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Smallfield dad cleared of all sex charges tells of his relief

"A FATHER-OF-THREE found not guilty of indecently assaulting a young boy has spoken about the "living nightmare" he faced as neighbours suspected him of being a paedophile.

A jury took barely half an hour to acquit Joseph Maslen, 39, who was accused of a string of sex offences dating back to the mid 1980s.

Having been cleared of any wrongdoing at Lewes Crown Court last week, Mr Maslen told the Courier & Observer of the hell he has been through.

"I've lost two-and-a-half years of my life," he said.

"I sat there in court numb, and bewildered it had got so far on the word of another person.

"But my mum said 'look at the jury from day dot. Look them in the eye and they will be able to tell if you are telling the truth'. And I did, and they could."

While the charges have hung over him Mr Maslen, from Wheelers Lane, Smallfield, said he had been left with "no motivation to do anything".

He said: "I couldn't sleep. It's been a kind of mental torture. I've been in a prison in my own home. It's been a living nightmare.

"I went and told my dad the day I was charged. My mum hasn't enjoyed the best of health so I kept it from her as long as I could.

"I told the boys this year, when we knew it was going to go to court."

While his sons didn't doubt his innocence, neighbours weren't so sure.

Mr Maslen said: "This is a small community and bad news travels fast. If you've tripped in the street, by the time you've fallen the bloke down the road knows about it.

"I was quite a sociable person before this happened. I went to the local shop. Now I can go again.""

http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/story-17201372-detail/story.html