Sexual predator jailed for rape and indecent assault after 17 years of abuse
A man who sexually preyed upon young girls and women for 17 years has been jailed for 29 years.
Rick Passway, 77, was found guilty of 22 charges covering offences of rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child, against six victims, dating back to 1974.
Passway carried out a campaign of abuse targeting his victims over several years at various locations around the Wantage and Faringdon areas, as well as Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Passway’s crimes came to light during an unrelated investigation being carried out by Gloucestershire Constabulary. A witness in the inquiry told police about allegations from a third party relating to rape and sexual offences committed by Passway in Oxfordshire, which helped Thames Valley Police bring charges against him.
Senior Crown Prosecutor James Bailey-Woodward for the Crown Prosecution Service’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit said: “Rick Passway unashamedly preyed on young girls for years, creating a culture of fear and intimidation to ensure that they would not speak out about his despicable crimes, allowing his offences to become more and more serious. He then denied any wrongdoing.
“It’s thanks to the courage of his victims that we were able to put him before a jury who found him guilty.
“We hope the lengthy prison sentence he has received finally brings some sense of justice to these victims and demonstrates that, no matter how non-recent allegations may be, the Crown Prosecution Service will not hesitate to prosecute rape and serious sexual offences where there is the evidence to do so.”
Notes to editors
- Following a trial in May 2021, a jury found Rick Passway (DOB 09.04.1945) guilty of five counts of rape, 14 counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child at Oxford Crown Court. Following a retrial at the same court on a charge of rape, he was convicted of a further count of rape on 7 April 2022.
- He was sentenced to 29 years’ imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court on 20 May 2022.
- James Bailey-Woodward is a senior crown prosecutor in the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit in CPS Thames and Chiltern.
- Earlier this year, we highlighted CPS progress in transforming the way rape prosecutions are handled as we published an update to our five-year rape strategy – RASSO 2025.This includes overhauling working relationships with partners across the criminal justice system, progressing recruitment, stepping up training and focusing on victim support.