Clinton Royle from Crewe, guilty of 43 sexual offences against minors, has been sentenced to imprisonment.
Clinton Royle, residing on Elm Drive in Crewe, was sentenced to 25 years at Chester Crown Court on Friday, 27 September.
The 62-year-old was convicted of the offences at Chester Crown Court on Monday, July 29, after an 11-day trial.
This encompassed 28 charges of assaulting a girl under 13, two charges of taking an indecent photograph of a kid, three charges of holding indecent photographs of children, three charges of creating indecent photographs of a child, and seven charges of enticing a girl under 13 to participate in sexual conduct.
Clinton Royle was arrested following a report to police in 2019 about non-recent child sexual abuse offences which occurred between August 2012 and April 2016 when the child victim was between the ages of eight and 12.
Following Clinton Royle’s arrest, an investigation was launched by officers in the Protecting Vulnerable People investigations department and various items were seized from his home, including children’s clothing, hard drives, and digital storage devices.
Clinton Royle denied all allegations during interview and was released on bail while the investigation was ongoing.
Cheshire Police’s digital forensic unit conducted analysis of Clinton Royle’s devices, discovering encrypted and password protected files containing thousands of indecent images of children. The files also contained recordings of Royle’s offending.
Further investigations were conducted, and officers were able to identify other child victims aged between three and 12 at the time of the offending.
Whilst Clinton Royle confirmed he was present in the videos and images with the children, he denied the offences, claiming that his actions and the images were not of a sexual nature. Despite his denials, he was ultimately charged with the offences.
On top of his custodial sentence, Clinton Royle will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, restraining orders against the victims, and will also need to sign the sex offender register.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Amy Pegnam said:
“Clinton Royle is a predator who exploited young children purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires. These innocent children were subjected to horrific abuse, and not only that, but Clinton Royle tried to deny any wrongdoing.
“But thankfully the jury saw through his lies, and he is now facing a lengthy sentence behind bars where he cannot subject anyone else to his abhorrent behaviour.
“This has been a complex and lengthy investigation, and I would again like to commend the courage of the victims, the officers, and all those involved who have helped bring this man to justice.
“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or through our website.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 111 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.