Leon Burton 37

Description

A man accused of raping a child multiple times and perverting the court of justice has been found guilty by jurors.

Leon Burton, previously of St Mary’s Crescent in Stow, had denied three charges of rape and one of perverting the course of justice at a five-day trial at Lincoln Crown Court last week.

But the 37-year-old was judged to have committed the offences by jurors on Friday, 16 October.

Burton had already pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual activity with a child and a separate charge of perverting the course of justice.

The charges relate to a single victim and took place in the Stow area, starting in 2025 and into 2026.

Burton is set to be sentenced later this year on 11 December.

The court heard how police divers and dogs were deployed to locate two mobile phones that officers suspected Burton had disposed of.

These phones were never located but one is believed to have been thrown in the water in Stow and the other Burton admitted to destroying himself.

Burton was arrested and subsequently remanded until he appeared before court officials on Monday, 12 October for trial.

DC James Lindsay, who was in charge of the investigation, said:

“Burton abused a child in the most despicable way and did his best to evade justice.

“But thanks to the bravery of the victim at the heart of this case and the tenacity of the teams involved, Burton was arrested and brought before jurors who saw through his lies.

“The safety and wellbeing of children is at the heart of everything we do, and we’ll leave no stone unturned in our investigations to ensure they get the support they need.

“I’d like to thank the victim who has made a real difference and helped expose a predator who will soon be jailed, ensuring no one else will suffer at his hands.

“And I’d also praise the work of everyone involved in this investigation – their determination and professionalism helped get us here.”