Mark Buckley 48

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A MAN found guilty of raping a 10-year-old child at an address in Winsford has been handed a sentence totalling 17 years.

Previously, we reported Mark Buckley was convicted of the charge following a seven-day trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Tuesday, March 5.

The 48-year-old, now of Hoole Road, Chester, appeared back before court on Thursday, May 2, before Judge Steven Everett.

Buckley, who was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child, was handed a 16-year prison sentence, plus 12 months extended licence.

The terms of the sentence mean Buckley must serve at least two-thirds of the 16 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.

Prosecuting, Karl Scholz said the victim was just 10 years old at the time the offences were committed, which had left the victim with bruising on her arm.

Buckley was, in August 2021, handed a suspended sentence in court for a number of offences including possession of indecent images of children and attempting to communicate with children sexually online.

He appeared back before court for numerous breaches of the suspended sentence and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and was jailed.

The victim spoke out to a friend's relative in August 2023, around the time Buckley was due to be released from prison, and the matter was reported to police, leading to Buckley being rearrested.

The victim, in her personal statement, said she had struggled with sleeping and had nightmares about what had happened.

She added if she saw Buckley again she would 'hate it'.

Defending, Simon Parry said while it was accepted Buckley would receive a significant sentence, he did not meet the criteria of dangerousness for an even lengthier sentence.

Judge Everett, sentencing, told the defendant: "There is not a single redeeming feature for you," adding he had 'no care, no thought, for young children' and had shown 'no remorse'.

He commended the bravery of the victim, adding: "I can only hope that somehow she will get some closure and will be able to move forward. I sincerely hope so."

Detective Constable Bryony Aston said: Firstly, I would like to commend the victim for the bravery and courage they have shown in coming forward and talking about what happened to them.

Buckley has shown no remorse for his actions, and while the victim will never be able to forget what happened that night, I hope that the verdict reached today will provide them with some reassurance and help them to move forward.

Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and if anything can come from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.

Cheshire Police takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.

The victim's family added: "We would like to thank DC Aston for the help and support that she has provided throughout this case. She has gone above and beyond to help us through this difficult time and the determination that she has shown should be commended.

"Thanks to her work, Buckley is now facing the consequences of his actions and as a family we can now start to move forward and rebuild our lives."

As well as the sentence totalling 17 years, Buckley was handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order meaning Buckley cannot contact or live with children aged under 16, or use internet-enabled devices without making them available for police inspection.

He was also handed a lifetime restraining order against the victim and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.