Teenager given four year sentence for raping 10-year-old
A 15-year-old boy was today locked up for four years for raping a 10-year-old girl on disused land in Shrewsbury.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded guilty to one charge of rape and another of attempted rape.
He was sentenced to four years at a secure unit which rehabilitates young sex offenders by Judge Robin Onions at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The court heard how the youth followed and approached the little girl as she walked along St Michael's Street, near the town centre, on the afternoon of Friday, April 11.
He persuaded her to help search for something he claimed to have lost, luring her to an isolated location on disused land near the Arc car wash centre where he attacked her.
A major police investigation was launched, including repeated public appeals for information, especially for sightings of a young man and the victim in the New Park Road and St Michael's Street area.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, who led the investigation praised the efforts of the public in bringing the youth to justice.
He said: "This was an extremely disturbing case, involving a little girl of just 10 years. It quickly became apparent that her assailant was also fairly young, probably someone of secondary school age. "I am pleased to say we were able to arrest the perpetrator relatively quickly once the incident had been reported. He was a dangerous individual and fortunately, was identified and arrested before posing any further risk to the public. It also allowed for the effective recovery of vital evidence".
Full story in tomorrow's Shropshire Star