Shropshire farm worker jailed for sexually abusing girls
A farm worker who repeatedly sexually abused young girls over the course of a decade in and around a Shropshire village has been jailed for a total of 17 years.
Charles Stealey, referred to as 'the white van man' in the Trefonen area near Oswestry, was convicted of a dozen offences, including three of rape.
The 51-year-old carried out assaults in the back of his van, as well as at the homes of his victims and at other locations around the village.
Passing sentence at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, Judge Peter Barrie told Stealey that he had caused "grave and lasting harm" to both of his young victims.
He said Stealey had used his "dominating and violent personality" to sustain the abuse of the girls.
"You continued to deny your offending and have shown no remorse," he said.
Judge Barrie said Stealey seemed to think that his actions were "normal and acceptable" but had betrayed the girls and stolen their childhood.
Before passing sentence Judge Barrie read a victim impact statement from one of the girls and a video was shown to court of the other girl talking about her ordeal.
"He has taken my childhood away from me. He has affected my present and is also going to affect my future," she said. Stealey was given six concurrent sentences ranging from three years to seven years for indecent assaults and sexual activity with a child relating to one of the victims.
The seven year sentence was consecutive to a further six concurrent sentences, ranging from three years to 10 years for one of three rape offences involving the second girl.
In addition Stealey was made subject of an indefinite sex offences prevention order, banning him from unsupervised contact with any female under 16.
He was banned from working with children for life and will be on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.
Stealey, who used to live in Trefonen, had denied 20 sexual abuse allegations between 2000 and 2010, and claimed that one of the victims had told "a pack of lies".
The jury convicted Stealey of 12 abuse charges – including the three rapes – involving the two girls who were under 16. He was cleared of four further charges of rape and one of sexual assault relating to a middle-aged woman.
The jury failed to reach verdicts on two other abuse allegations involving a third young girl and the prosecution said it would not be seeking a re-trial and formal not guilty verdicts were recorded.
