[2025] EWCA Crim 1196

Reporting restrictions apply in this case. Pursuant to the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, no matter may be included in any publication during the victim's lifetime if it is likely to lead members of the public to identify her as the victim of these offences. We will refer to the victim as the complainant throughout this judgment.

On 22 September 2023, following a trial in the Crown Court at Chester before Mr Recorder Rankin and a jury, the appellant (then aged 65) was convicted of counts 9 (sexual assault) and 12 (possession of indecent photographs of the offences referred to below). He was acquitted of counts 1 (assault of a child under 13 by penetration), 8 (rape) and 10 and 11 (assault by penetration).

On 28 November 2024, following a retrial before His Honour Judge Thompson and a jury, the appellant (then aged 66) was convicted of counts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (sexual activity with a child) and 7 (attempted rape). He was sentenced to a total of 16 years' imprisonment, against which he appeals with the leave of the single judge.

The complainant was born in 2003. When she was aged 2 or 3 her mother struck up a relationship with the appellant. The appellant did not live with them on a permanent basis until the complainant was aged 13 or 14, but he was always around and stayed over a lot. Such was the closeness of their relationship that the complainant called the appellant "dad". The appellant sexually abused the complainant over a three year period between 2016 and 2019, when she was aged between 13 and 16. As the judge said, this was an opportunity to guide her, to protect her and to shape her future like many stepfathers do. Instead, the appellant used his role as a trusted step parent to be alone with her and to abuse her sexually. He groomed her to the point when she felt guilty when she resisted the appellant's abuse.

We shall now summarise the offences of which the appellant was convicted.