A detective who helped secure a 17-and-a-half-year sentence for a vile Benfleet sex abuser by tracking down a second victim and uncovering crucial evidence has been honoured for her work.

Detective Constable Emily Monk has been recognised with a commendation from Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington for her professionalism, determination and commitment after her investigation into the abuse of two children by a music teacher in Benfleet in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Andrew Dutton, then 63, of Dean Street, Blackpool, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and five counts of indecency with a child at Basildon Crown Court.

He has been jailed for 17-and-a-half years.

DC Monk took on the case after one victim reported the offences at Southend police station. She quickly gained his trust and he revealed he believed there was another boy who had been abused.

DC Monk tracked down the second victim and uncovered crucial evidence which helped secure the conviction.

The victim who made the initial report praised DC Monk for her “compassion and respect” and said she had been “fantastic”.

He later shared his experience in a film for Essex Police to encourage victims of abuse to report crimes to the police.

DC Monk said she felt “humble” to be commended and added: “I am immensely proud of the work the team do, and the results we achieve for victims.

“I built up a really good rapport with the victims in this case and I was quite emotional when we heard the sentence.

“I've been on child abuse teams for 13 years now, so I understand the impact it has on people. When people report crimes to us, they will be believed, they will be supported, and we will help them to take back control.”

DC Monk works for the force’s Quest team. They investigate non-recent child sexual abuse cases where the victim is now an adult, and the abuser was an adult family member or in a position of responsibility over the victim at the time of the abuse.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said: “If you commit crimes against children in Essex, no matter how long ago, you will not get away with it. Our Quest team have an outstanding record in bringing perpetrators to justice and achieving significant custodial sentences.

“DC Monk deserves this recognition for her superb detective work and the empathetic way she managed such a delicate case. It took incredible courage for the victim to come forward and to read his words of praise for DC Monk is testament to the incredible job she did.”