A man has been jailed for ten years for a string of non-recent sex offences against a child.
Steven Roy Reddin, aged 58 years, of Arundel Close in Ryde, abused the child between 1991 and 1994, beginning when the victim was just nine-years-old.
Lengthy investigation after being reported
The girl, now an adult, bravely reported this to police in 2019 and a lengthy investigation followed.
As a result, Reddin was charged with the following offences:
- Two counts of rape a girl under 16
- Gross indecency with a child
- Incite a girl under 14 to commit an act of gross indecency
- Two counts of indecent assault on a girl
Appearing at Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday 24th May, he admitted all six offences.
Ten year prison sentence
Reddin appeared at the same court today (Friday 20th August) where he was handed ten years in prison, a life time restraining order and a 15 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
DC Gillian Harvey, who led the investigation, said,
“The woman in this case has shown incredible courage in coming forward to report this terrible abuse, which she had kept a secret for many years.
“The damage that this type of offending causes, and has caused, is indescribable, but this woman’s bravery has ensured that Reddin has been brought to justice.
“Reddin was fully aware that his actions amounted to abuse of the most horrific kind, yet continued his behaviour without sparing a thought for the impact this would have.”
We encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak to someone in confidence.
NSPCC:
An NSPCC spokesperson said:
“This case shows that survivors of child abuse can see their abusers brought to justice, no matter how long ago the offences happened. The woman in this case has demonstrated tremendous bravery in speaking out about Reddin’s crimes, and we would encourage anyone who has been sexually abused to speak to a trusted adult.
“Adults who wish to report historic abuse, or have concerns about a child, can phone the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected], while children can contact Childline any time on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk.”
Article edit
5.25pm 20th Aug 2021 – Comment from NSPCC added
News shared by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, in their own words. Ed
Image: Ray Forster under CC BY 2.0
