A St Austell man has been jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of sexual offences against a child.
Stephen Davey, 57, of Lower Woodside, St Austell, was convicted of two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, three counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault of a child, against one victim following a trial which concluded on Wednesday 26 March, when he was released on court bail until his sentencing hearing.
At Truro Crown Court, on Thursday 3 April, he was sentenced to 17 years for unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, with one year on extended licence after he is released, and five years each for the charges of sexual assault and indecent assault, to be served concurrently.
He was told he would serve a minimum of two-thirds of the sentence before he could be considered for parole.
He was also given an order not to contact the victim and that he would have to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Detective Sergeant David Squire, who led the investigation, said the sentence passed down by the judge “is to be welcomed.”
“We should praise the victim in this case for the bravery she has shown in reporting these non-recent rapes and sexual assaults to us in 2022. She has remained steadfast during the investigation and throughout the court process that has brought justice today, while being supported by officers,” said Squire.
He added, “We hope that this will bring some closure for her. As a force, we will stand with victims of such offences and hope that this gives others who may have suffered such abuse the courage to come forward.Â
“Devon & Cornwall Police is clear in its approach to reports of this nature – we will listen, and you will be heard. We will always actively investigate any such crime and seek to bring those responsible to justice for the victims, who we would urge to come forward and report offences to us. Time is no barrier to justice.”
