‘How Can My Son’s Abuser Be Set Free?’

The mother of a teenager who was sexually assaulted by a former Crown Prosecution Service manager says she is devastated his sentence has been cut.

William John Hollins, 43, of Binton, Stratford-upon-Avon, was jailed for two-and-a-half years in May at Nottingham Crown Court after admitting two charges of sexual assault on a 16-year-old boy and one charge of possessing cocaine.

But last month Hollins – former area business manager for Gloucestershire CPS – won an appeal to have the sentence cut to 12 months.

As Hollins has been in jail for more than half that time, he is likely to be free within weeks.

The mum, 37, who doesn’t want to be named, said her son was so affected by Hollins that he started to self-harm.

The woman, who lives in Merseyside, said: “It has ripped our family apart. He was a friend of the family and my son was offered a job by him. He went to live with him in Worcestershire. Now my son is 18 and suffers flashbacks to the incident. He has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

“He stays in his room and doesn’t work. He also distrusts any men in their 40s and believes they want something from him.

“He used to be a popular boy, who looked after his appearance and had a girlfriend.

“He looked like a member of a boy band. Now he wears black, shaves his head and doesn’t go out.”

Hollins, joined the CPS in August 1987 and was appointed Area Business Manager in Gloucestershire in 1999.

He was also chairman of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network within the organisation.

He resigned from his position with the CPS on July 31 last year. The court heard how Hollins admitted two sexual assaults on the boy between June and September 2005.

He denied any wrongdoing, but later admitted touching the boy inappropriately.

He told police that he had snorted cocaine on 15 occasions after traces of the drug were found on a dollar bill and samples of hair taken away for analysis.

Lawyers for Hollins argued that he had been ruined by what had happened and had lost his job and good reputation.

The woman added: “My son was initially impressed by Hollins because he was a successful man.

“I’m glad he has been ruined by this. I was happy with the original sentence but devastated that it has been cut to this. It is awful to see a young person go through this. I don’t know when my son will be okay again.”