Operation Stovewood: Rotherham man sentenced for repeatedly raping schoolgirl

A man has been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for grooming and raping a schoolgirl in Rotherham 20 years ago.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Paul Richardson, 63, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) under Operation Stovewood.

Following a trial, Richardson was found guilty of four counts of rape and one count of attempted rape following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. He was sentenced today at the same court.

The Court heard how Richardson began giving the victim attention when she was 14 years of age and gained her trust by sending her notes and letters. The victim was particularly vulnerable at this time as a result of problems at home.

In 2005, during the offending period, the victim was aged 15. Richardson was 42.

Richardson would pick her up in his car and take her to hotels in Bassetlaw and Rotherham, as well as a house in Nottinghamshire, where he overpowered and manipulated her when she refused his advances. The victim recalled telling him she did not want him to kiss or touch her, but he ignored her pleas and raped her.

After considering the evidence presented by the prosecution – including evidence from a phone Richardson had given the victim as a child, which contained sexual text messages he had sent her – the jury unanimously convicted the defendant.

Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Paul Richardson deliberately exploited the difficult circumstances the victim was going through by creating a dependency that allowed him to manipulate and abuse her over several months.

“He sought to gain her trust by giving her gifts and attention, but his sole motivation was sexual. He drove her to hotels and to an unoccupied address where, during overnights stays, he forced himself on her and raped her.

"The victim in this case has shown remarkable courage in coming forward and giving evidence about these traumatic experiences. Her testimony, combined with the digital evidence she preserved, enabled us to build a strong case that demonstrated Richardson's guilt to a jury.

“No child should endure what this victim suffered. The Crown Prosecution Service remains committed to working closely with law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators of child sexual abuse to justice – no matter how much time has passed.”

To deal with the most complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated national Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit where Specialist Prosecutors use their expertise and experience to build strong cases and increase the number of successful prosecutions.

Kath Blain, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “Our investigation found that Paul Richardson groomed and raped a vulnerable young girl, who saw him as a father figure. Richardson exploited the girl’s trust in him and manipulated her fear of being alone in order to control and sexually abuse her. 

“I want to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim who has shown enormous strength in testifying against her attacker. While nothing can erase the trauma she has suffered, I hope that the outcome today brings her some measure of closure, that Richardson will spend years in prison for what he did to her. 

“I encourage anyone who was sexually abused as a child to report it to police in person or by calling 101, who have officers specially trained to investigate such cases, regardless of how long ago the crime occurred.” 

Operation Stovewood is a major investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.