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Description

A man who sexually abused two girls has been jailed for nine years.

Stephen Cox, 44, from Torquay, Devon, was found guilty in May at Exeter Crown Court of seven offences.

They included assault by touching, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The younger victim was only three when she was interviewed by police, and Cox, who denied the charges, had shown no remorse, the court heard.

Cox, of Hillesdon Road, was also sentenced to a five-year extended licence, put on the sex offenders' register for life and issued with an Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting contact with children.

'No remorse whatsoever'

Mary McCarthy, prosecuting, said the abuse happened in the late 2010s at a property in north Devon and came to light when the older girl, then aged six, told her mother what had happened.

The younger of his two victims was aged three when she was video-interviewed by specially trained police, and a little older when other evidence was pre-recorded.

In their evidence, the children said Cox had touched them and devised an "elephant game" in which he encouraged them to touch him.

Cox was said to have a "significant sexual attraction to children" by the writer of a probation report, and the judge, Recorder Mr Donald Tait, categorised him as a dangerous offender who posed a real risk of harming children.

The judge said Cox's behaviour had had a "very significant effect" on the girls and he had shown "no remorse whatsoever".

After sentencing, Det Con Terry Hodgson, of Devon and Cornwall Police, who led the investigation, said that the victims' cooperation was a "testament to their bravery" after they "suffered significant sexual abuse".

He added: "This is an important reminder that such reports will always be taken seriously by the police and justice will be sought."

Description

Dylan Tattersall, 28, attempted to sexually assault the victim twice while threatening her with a metal bar in the early hours of June 19, 2022.

The victim managed to secretly take photographs of Tattersall on her phone in order to raise the alarm.

Tattersall, of Gloucester Avenue, Accrington, was arrested later the same day.

He was charged with two rapes and a number of breaches of a non-molestation order following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

During a trial in December 2022, a jury found Tattersall guilty of breaching the non-molestation order but were unable to reach a verdict in relation to the charges of rape.

Tattersall later pleaded guilty to two alternative counts of attempted rapes, with the victim ready to give evidence for a second time.

He was sentenced on Tuesday (July 4) for those offences and breaches of the non-molestation order he had previously pleaded guilty to.

Tattersall was subsequently jailed for 11 years and eight months.

Sitting at Preston Crown Court, Judge Heather Lloyd deemed Tattersall to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him to a three-year extended licence period.

Tattersall was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and a restraining order was put in place.

Det Sgt Lee Harris, of East CID, said: “'I would like to commend the victim of this case for her bravery in reporting this serious incident to the police and for her continued resilience, which saw her having to give her full evidence in a previous trial and who was prepared to endure it again if needs be.

“Both the victim and I welcome the sentence and other sanctions that have been placed upon Tattersall today, which reflects the seriousness of the case and sends a clear message that offenders like Tattersall will be brought to justice.

“I hope the outcome of this case encourages other victims of sexual violence to come forward, knowing they will be listened to and believed.”

Description

A man has been jailed after he attacked a woman on a canal path in Stourbridge. Luke Hill approached his victim and asked her for sex, a court heard.

The 36-year-old then punched the woman in the face and forced himself on her in a terrifying sexual assault. The woman - whilst fighting back - managed to get the attention of other people who were in the area.

They raced over to help her as Hill, of Lye, Dudley, fled on a bicycle. The attack happened in May last year and Hill was arrested in the same month.

Following a trial, Hill was found guilty of assault thereby occasioning actual bodily harm and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Stafford Crown Court on Monday, June 26, and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

DC Laura Turner, who dealt with the case, said: "I'm happy that we've been able to secure justice for the victim in this case and put a dangerous offender behind bars.

"I'd like to commend the victim for her quick thinking and immense bravery, both during this incident and for supporting us with our investigation afterwards."

Description

An elderly man has been jailed after he repeatedly abused a young girl. Paul Lee, now aged 80, targeted the girl on multiple occasions around a decade ago, when he made her pose for photographs and forced her to engage in sexual activity.

His crimes where exposed years later after the girl revealed what happened to a member of staff at her school. Lee was arrested two days later, and Nottinghamshire Police carried out a search of his home near Newark.

Officers found explicit paintings depicting abuse of the girl in an outbuilding, as well as an arrangement of adult and child-sized shop mannequins dressed in sexualised underwear. Extreme pornographic material was also recovered from electronic devices seized at the scene

Lee, formerly of Moor Lane, South Clifton, declined to comment in three separate police interviews but he later pleaded guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs of a child, and possessing a prohibited image of a child. The 80 year old also admitted to possessing extreme pornography and to possessing a shotgun without a certificate after the weapon was found during the police search.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, July 3, he was jailed for seven years and 10 months. He will also serve an extended license period of four years upon his release.

Detective Constable Laura Manley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Lee is a predatory sex offender who committed some truly appalling offences against a primary school age child. As she grew older, the victim in this case realised what had happened to her was wrong and eventually found the strength to tell others.

“I know this been a very difficult and upsetting process for her and her family, so I really am full of admiration for the determination and dignity she has shown throughout the legal process. But for her bravery in coming forward, this man would have remained at-large and other children could have been put at risk as a result."

She continued: "The evidence she gave was extremely detailed and utterly damming for Lee, who really had no choice but to admit to what he had done. I am pleased he has now been handed a very significant prison sentence and hope this case serves as a warning to others about the consequences of abusing children in this way.

“We will find out; we will arrest you and we will do whatever we can to bring you to justice.”

Description

A drunk undressed himself and sexually assaulted a woman after he’d been drinking with her and her sister.

Anthony Brocklesby told the woman, “all she needed was the right man” and when her sister fell asleep in the front room he grabbed her and pinned her down on the settee.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Brocklesby began groping the woman, and Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said she described a struggle, before the defendant grabbed her by the neck.

Mr McEntee said: “He slipped his hands into her knickers before moving them up her body, underneath her top and into her bra.

“She managed to get him off her and went to bed, but the defendant came into the bedroom wearing no top, with his pants round his ankles.

“He tried to grope her again and touched her breasts.

“Her sister, who had woken up, then came into the room and asked what was going on to which he replied, ‘what does it look like’?”

Brocklesby also broke a glass top on the cooker in the kitchen of the house.

Mr McEntee said he was confronted by what he did the following morning but said he couldn’t remember anything, and the matter was reported to the police.

Three days later on April 29, he made threats to the woman and her sister telling them, “you shouldn’t have made the report”, he also said, “if you don’t retract you won’t see your family again and you will pay”.

Paul Cummings, in mitigation, said it was “wholly out of character” for his client and all of this was borne out of alcohol dependency.

Brocklesby, 31, of Mitre Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault by touching, witness intimidation and criminal damage.

He was jailed for 12 months, given a five year restraining order and placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years.

Description

A Stoke-on-Trent man has been put behind bars for three years after grooming a teenage girl in Congleton.

Raheem Rahman, 23, of Andrew Mulligan Close, Tunstall, had been messaging his victim via the Snapchat app, and had arranged to meet her in Congleton on Monday, January 23. He collected the girl in his car at around 8.10am that day and drove to a country lane, thought to be in the Astbury area.

He then stopped the car and sexually assaulted the girl before driving her back to Congleton, Chester Crown Court heard.

Rahman was located after Ring doorbell footage helped to identify the car he was driving. He was arrested the same day at his place of work in Congleton.

During interview, he admitted talking to the girl on Snapchat but initially denied any sexual contact with the victim, saying he had picked her up and then dropped her off at school. He later pleaded guilty to one count of grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was sentenced to three years in prison in a hearing at Chester Crown Court on Friday June 30). A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed for an indeterminate period.

As well as being jailed for three years, Rahman must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and is subject to a restraining order.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Simon Mills of Cheshire Police's Eastern Crime Unit, said: "Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her bravery throughout this investigation, and we hope this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward. Rahman would have been well aware of the age of the victim but in spite of this, he chose to sexually assault the girl.

"I also hope that this case acts as a warning to others about the potential dangers of social media. Rahman met his victim online and he purposefully used social media as a tool to groom the girl before taking advantage of her

"We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”

Description

A violent thug has been put behind bars for three years, after almost costing a young woman her life.

Tommy Ward, aged 23, of Hull Road in Hedon, was sentenced following a serious and near fatal attack in July 2022. Ward tried to suffocate his victim and caused her significant facial injuries, in what police described as a 'brutal attack which almost cost her life'.

Afterwards, he fled the area and destroyed his mobile phones prior to his arrest, in an attempt to get rid of the evidence. However, there was other significant evidence that was presented to him when he was arrested, which led to him being charged and remanded.

At an earlier court appearance in March, Ward pleaded guilty to Breach of Notification (Sexual Offences Act 2003), criminal damage, assault by beating, non-fatal suffocation, theft, sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress and witness intimidation.

Speaking after sentencing, the Officer in the Case (OIC), Detective Constable Daniel Radford said: "Ward was placed on the sex offender’s register and was required to be registered for two years after he was cautioned for possession of an indecent image of a child in October 2021. He blatantly disregarded his requirements and breached his conditions under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as a convicted sex offender, to have no contact with children.

"His victim had no knowledge of his previous background and had young children that could potentially have been put at risk. He also deceived those around him and those charged with his monitoring.

"His truly appalling attack on a vulnerable young woman was shocking, she was extremely lucky to have escaped with her life."

The detective also praised the young woman for her courage and gave a reassuring message to others going through domestic abuse. He continued: "I want to thank the victim for her support of the police action and in coming forward despite the intimidation.

"Her bravery and support may have saved future victims from the abuse, safeguarded children, and potentially saved someone’s life if Tommy Ward was allowed to continue his dangerous behaviour.

"We know it can be very difficult to disclose domestic abuse, and then have the strength to be involved in an investigation that, as in this case, can sometimes be lengthy. I would encourage anyone who is being abused or know someone who is, to call the police.

"We will listen, we do care, and there are support services available in many different forms and types that can help victims of abuse. If you are not in a safe position to call us, then please tell a trusted person or when able, to disclose to a professional person.

"Taking the first step to stop the abuse is brave and we can and will support you throughout any investigation. You are not alone."

Description

A pervert who sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 16 was told "Don't be a paedophile" by his victim as he abused her. She later told her attacker "F*** you, I'm a child."

Jami Davies, 34, of Bridgend, was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child following a child at Cardiff Crown Court. He claimed his victim was not telling the truth, but he was disbelieved by a jury who returned guilty verdicts.

The court heard Davies approached his victim as she slept and initially touched her leg and bottom over clothing in a sexual way. He then tried to put his hands into the victim's clothing to touch her vagina but she told him to stop and pulled away.

The defendant called her a "c***" and did it again. He then forced his hand inside her top and touched her breasts. She told Davies "No, don't be a paedophile". He stopped after he saw the victim had her phone and became concerned she was recording him.

Initially, the victim didn't want to tell anyone about the abuse but she later told her mother what had happened and Davies, of Pen-y-Bryn, Bryntirion, was arrested and convicted of the sexual activity offences on April 28. The court heard he had no relevant previous convictions.

In a victim personal statement read out to the court on Friday, the victim described the abuse as "a headf***" and believed she would not be able to make it through the trial, but had done. She added: "Jami, if you're listening to this, f*** you, I am a child. You f****** me up and screwed me up bad."

She said there were days she was unable to attend school. The victim said: "Knowing my abuser has been found guilty and is being sentenced makes me feel happy for other girls he could have hurt or traumatised. I don't feel the relief I should. I feels good but I don't feel better."

In mitigation, Neil Evans said his client had gone through trauma after a number of family bereavements and turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism. He was also involved in an incident when he got out of a moving van, which resulted in him being placed in an induced coma and suffering injuries including a fractured skull. The father-of-four and HGV driver was said to have drunk ten pints of lager on the night of the offences, which was described as "opportunistic".

Judge Lucy Crowther sentenced Davies to a total of 15 months imprisonment. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order for 10 years.

Description

A South Yorkshire man who sexually abused two children has been jailed.

Andrew Wileman abused his victims on numerous occasions in Rotherham in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He bought his victims sweets and warned them not to tell, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Wileman, 54, originally from Maltby, was jailed for 14 years after admitting charges including indecent assault part-way through a trial.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Commenting after the hearing, Det Con Emma Parsons, from Rotherham's Protecting Vulnerable People team, said: "Both of the victims in this case were incredibly brave to report the horrific abuse they suffered at the hands of Andrew Wileman.

"No child should ever have to endure what happened to them, and I hope they are now able to begin to heal and rebuild their lives, knowing that Wileman is beginning a lengthy custodial sentence.

"I also hope this result will give other victims of historical sexual abuse the confidence to talk to us."

Wileman, of The Lanes, East Dene, Rotherham, admitted four counts of indecent assault on a child, two counts of gross indecency with a child and one count of indecency with a child on the third day of a trial in March.

Description

A teenage boy was sent a chilling video on Snapchat which showed him being sexually assaulted in a hotel room.

The boy was targeted by sick Liam Gandz, 19, as he slept in August 2020. Gandz, who was just 16 at the time, filmed the horrific attack and sent it on to another person before the video got around to his victim.

Gandz, of Brayton Square in Leeds, appeared at Leeds Crown Court to be sentenced for sexual assault as well as the rape of a child under the age of 13, two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age 13 and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

The latter offences related to an eight-year-old boy Gandz sexually assaulted and raped. That attack was also filmed. Leeds Crown Court heard on Thursday that Gandz said: "FFS he's waking up" as he filmed the sick assault.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said: "On 14th September 2020, the 16-year-old victim got sent a video of an indecent nature from a contact on Snapchat. He recognised himself and saw the sex offences committed against him. He wasn't aware [it was taking place] because he was asleep at the time. He could see they were filmed by the defendant. He told his mum and she informed the police."

The eight-year-old was interviewed by the police and although he did not initially make a report he was upset.

The court heard Gandz's phone was seized and showed the videos and stills had been recorded. He had sent them on to a person online who was operating under the profile of a female who has not yet been identified. Mr Standfast said: "When he was arrested, his phone was seized and downloaded and recovered were a number of [indecent] images at categories A, B and C."

Gandz made no comment in his interviews but went on to indicate guilty pleas at the Magistrates' court.

In their victim impact statement, the parents of the eight-year-old victim told the court how the offences have had a "profound impact on his life" and have "caused psychological harm." Mr Stansfield said they said the offences have "shattered his sense of safety."

He added: "His parents feel an overwhelming sense of guilt from not being able to protect their child from harm."

Mitigating, Catherine Silverton said three Child in Need reports had been undertaken as well as a doctor's report and a pre-sentence report. She said Gandz is "disgusted in himself" and said: "It's nearly three years since the commission of these offences. He knows he will get an immediate custodial sentence today. He was 16-years-old and four months at the time.

"He indicated he was going to plead guilty at the first opportunity at court."

Ms Silverton said there had been an "unreasonable" delay in the case and Gandz has no relevant convictions.

His Honour Judge Stubbs KC sentenced Gandz to four-and-a-half-years in a Young Offenders' Institution and said it was "worrying" that he had no accepted his wrongdoing.

He said: "The messages you were sending show me very clearly that you knew what you were doing was very wrong...Your attitude to what you did wrong is very worrying and is something that concerns me...the fact you're shaking your head and acting like you don't know what I'm saying is evidence of that...

"Opening up and accepting what you've done wrong is really important. It's alright to come to me crying when you pleaded guilty but when someone comes to you and talks to you about what you did - rape an eight-year-old - you come and shake your head and that's what worries me."

The judge made Gandz the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and said he would be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Description

A man has been jailed for raping a child over a period of time between 2006 and 2008.

Paul Hunt – 35 (19.09.87) of no fixed abode was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment following a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, 29 June. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Hunt had been found guilty of rape and sexual assault of the girl, who was under the age of 13 at the time of the offences, at the conclusion of a trial on Friday, 16 June.

The court heard how Hunt knew the girl and groomed her over the course of several visits to the house he was staying at in Stratford at the time.

On various occasions between 2006 and 2008, Hunt raped and sexually assaulted the girl. He told her that no one would believe her if she told anyone about the abuse.

However, in 2018 the girl, by now an adult, confronted Hunt and reported the matters to police. Officers undertook an investigation which involved gathering evidence and witness statements from over ten years previously. 

Hunt was arrested but refused to answer questions during his police interview. However, he was charged and subsequently found guilty at court.

DI Jeremy McDermott of the North East Command Unit said: “Hunt exploited and took advantage of a vulnerable child on numerous occasions. He told the victim that she would not be believed. Despite this, she showed commendable bravery in coming forward and providing such strong evidence to police and at the trial. I hope that the sentence handed down will bring her a small measure of comfort and a sense that justice has been done.

"I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime to come forward and speak to police; they will be supported and their voice too can be heard.”

Description

A teenager from Strood has been jailed for 12 years after he targeted children online and then committed multiple sexual offences against them, including rape. 

Emmanuel Agbaje groomed his young victims using social media platforms, before they were blackmailed and subjected to appalling abuse.

The offences were committed between September 2021 and August 2022, and involved nine children, all teenage girls. 

Agbaje would contact the victims online and either introduce himself or pretend to be someone else. He would build up a relationship and trust, before convincing them to exchange intimate photos.

After receiving these photos he would blackmail the girls by threatening to distribute the images unless they met with him.

At a number of these meetings, Agbaje raped and sexually abused the victims. To prevent them from telling anyone of the abuse, he made threats to harm them, including sending one victim a photograph of their own front door.

Guilty pleas

In November 2022, Agbaje appeared at Staines Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, where he pleaded guilty to 30 charges which included but were not limited to – two counts of rape, 10 counts of sexual activity with a child and nine counts of blackmail.

He was also convicted of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, sending communications conveying a threatening message and threatening to disclose private sexual images with intent to cause distress. A further 24 counts were ordered by the court to lie on file. 

At Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 28 June 2023, the 17-year-old was sentenced to 12 years in jail, of which he will have to serve at least two thirds before he can apply for parole.

The judge deemed Agbaje ‘dangerous’ and later lifted reporting restrictions, which would normally prevent the naming of a juvenile offender.  

Upon release from prison Agbaje will be subject to an additional licence period of four years. He was also added to the Sex Offender Register for life.

Predatory and dangerous

The case was investigated by Detective Constables Abigail Palmer and Daniel Burnett, both of Medway’s Vulnerability Investigation Team.

DC Daniel Burnett said: ‘Agbaje was responsible for a catalogue of appalling offences. He instilled terror in his victims, to control and coerce them and satisfy his own warped desires.

‘I want to commend each victim in coming forward and supporting this investigation. Their bravery and courage to speak up and report these offences has ensured that we have been able to secure these convictions against a predatory and extremely dangerous individual.

‘His actions have both physically and mentally affected each victim. They now have to learn to rebuild their lives and trust in others. I only hope that this sentence can help to give closure to the victims and allow them to move forward.’

Description

A convicted rapist described by a judge as a 'prolific sex offender' died from heart disease in jail after a cancelled hospital cardiac appointment wasn't re-booked, an inquest heard.

Mel Orme - who was jailed for life in 1997 - was 57 and found dead in his cell at HMP Wymott near Leyland by prison officers conducting their morning rounds.

Orme, from Eccles, Salford, was returned to prison in 2020 for attacking a string of women at the Trafford Centre shopping centre after being freed early from jail. A court heard he prowled the mall looking for new victims just five months after parole officers deemed him fit to be released.

Orme already had a string of sex offences on his record when he was transferred to the prison last November. He underwent an initial health screening, telling prison staff he had been experiencing dizzy spells, and a hospital appointment was made for him after an ECG indicated some abnormalities in his heart function, the inquest in Preston heard, reports Lancs Live.

However, the appointment was then cancelled by the hospital, and there was nothing in Orme's records to suggest it was ever re-booked.

On the morning of December 12 last year Orme was found dead in his cell when prison officers conducted their morning rounds.

An inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard that Orme, who was born in Manchester, had a history of diabetes and hypertension. A post mortem CT scan concluded the cause of his death was coronary artery disease with aortic valve disease and left ventricular hypertrophy listed as contributory factors.

Orme already had a string of sex offences on his record when he was transferred to the prison last November. He underwent an initial health screening, telling prison staff he had been experiencing dizzy spells, and a hospital appointment was made for him after an ECG indicated some abnormalities in his heart function, the inquest in Preston heard, reports Lancs Live.

However, the appointment was then cancelled by the hospital, and there was nothing in Orme's records to suggest it was ever re-booked.

On the morning of December 12 last year Orme was found dead in his cell when prison officers conducted their morning rounds.

An inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard that Orme, who was born in Manchester, had a history of diabetes and hypertension. A post mortem CT scan concluded the cause of his death was coronary artery disease with aortic valve disease and left ventricular hypertrophy listed as contributory factors.

Following Orme's death a series of recommendations were made to Wymott Prison. These are in the process of being implemented with the prison's head of healthcare revealing new systems had been put in place to ensure the kitchen staff are aware of diabetic prisoners and others on specific diets.

Returning a conclusion of natural causes, Assistant Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: "Mel Orme had a known heart condition and suffered from diabetes. He was found dead in his cell at HMP Wymott at around 8am on December 12, 2022. He died as a result of naturally-occurring heart disease."

In 2020 Orme, then aged 55, was jailed for 32 months at Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

He was released from jail five months earlier despite being locked up for life for the attempted rape of a girl aged 16.

The court in 2020 heard how, in October 2019, Orme prowled the Trafford Centre looking for new victims. He followed one woman to the car park where he groped her bottom before grinning at her and walking away.

Hours later he followed another woman around the complex and attempted to grab her. A third woman out enjoying the afternoon with her daughter and friends had sat down on a bench when she spotted Orme watching her from behind a plant pot.

As she walked away he grabbed her by the arm and bottom, before pushing himself against her. She quickly moved away but has said the incident has caused her to have heart palpitations and she has not returned to the Trafford Centre since.

Orme, who remained emotionless during the sentencing hearing in 2020, was unrepresented at the hearing. He declined to give an explanation to the court when asked to by the sentencing judge. He had 30 convictions dating back to 1979 when he was convicted of indecent assault on a female under 16.

He also had convictions for attempted rape, rape and indecent assault and his last conviction was in 1998 for two offences of attempted rape, to which he was handed life imprisonment. He was described by the judge as a 'prolific sex offender'.

Description

AN 'ABHORRENT' sex offender who committed crimes against three children has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Lawrence Pollard, of Front Street in Middleton on the Wolds, was sentenced yesterday (June 29) at Hull Crown Court, after pleading not guilty to 17 allegations of sexual abuse against children in the 1970s.

Pollard, 76, was found guilty of 15 counts of non-recent child sexual offences following a seven-day trial.

Officer in the case, Detective Police Constable Stephen Bromby, of Humberside Police, said: “This was a complex investigation and we made sure no stone was left unturned in order to bring this abhorrent man to justice.

“Pollard abused his position of trust and preyed on three innocent and vulnerable children for his own sick sexual gratification. I am reassured that he is now facing considerable time behind bars.

“I sincerely commend those affected for their bravery in coming forward and reporting these offences to us in 2018 and for their strength throughout the entirety of the investigation and court proceedings.

“Whilst the result at court will not take away the pain and suffering endured at the hands of this criminal, I hope it will bring the victims a sense of justice.

“I would like to reassure anyone who has suffered sexual abuse, whether recent or historical, that you will be listened to and supported. We take all reports of this nature incredible seriously and whenever victims are ready to come forward, we will be there to listen and will act relentlessly to ensure sex offenders are held to account.”

Description

A woman who was sexually abused when she was just 10 has revealed how she has since tried to kill herself three times and suffers night terrors because of the assaults.

In an emotional victim impact statement read to Bournemouth Crown Court at the sentencing of 76-year-old John Taylor, formerly of Ashley Road, New Milton, she described multiple assaults over a two-year period.

Now a young woman, the victim said she had also self-harmed, adding: “I have attempted suicide three times because the hurt and shame often feels too much to bear.

“I can’t sleep – I suffer night terrors so bad that I cannot breathe.

“He took away my innocence and I feel my whole life is ruined. He should be locked away from children for a very long time. But I am a survivor, not a victim, and I hope my story helps others.”

She was sitting in another room during the court hearing, with her statement read out by prosecutor Tom Devlin.

The abuse by Taylor, whose address was given in court as Poole, was revealed when the victim told a relative last year what had happened to her.

Mr Devlin said that when confronted, the defendant had “freely admitted sexually abusing the girl, saying he couldn’t help himself”.

The defendant had pleaded guilty to seven charges at a previous hearing. They included sexual assault of a child under 13 and assault by penetration.

Defending, Richard Martin said his client had been “waiting for this day to come”.

Mr Martin said the defendant, who sat downcast in the dock wearing a suit and tie, should be given credit for confessing to the offences immediately when asked.

“He accepts that he had a sexual interest in the victim at that time,” he said. “He is hopeful that one day the victim will forgive him.”

Mr Martin pointed out that two of the defendant’s children were in the public gallery, saying: “The family struggle to reconcile the father they knew with the man that they know has committed these offences.

“In every other aspect of his life he has led a good life – this was an isolated occurrence.”

He added that, given the defendant’s age, he should not be classed as a “dangerous offender”.

A pre-sentence report found that Taylor had shown remorse for what he had done, but also that he did not realise the “seriousness of what he did”, the court heard.

Sentencing Taylor to 12 years in prison, with one to be served on licence, Judge William Mousley KC said there had been “grooming” leading up to the abuse.

He noted the victim’s statement “makes very plain the impact your offending has had on her”.

The judge accepted that while the abuse had caused her “severe psychological harm”, Taylor had “very little insight into the harm what you did had on her”.

The defendant will also be made subject to a sexual harm prevention order when he is eventually released.