Law enforcement commended the bravery of a sexual assault victim following the sentencing of a paedophile, Stephen Shepherd, to nine years in prison.
Stephen Shepherd, 61, of Perry’s Road, Stanford-in-the-Vale, was unanimously convicted by a jury of three counts of sexual assault by touching and two counts of sexual assault by penetration of a minor, following a trial at Oxford Crown Court that concluded on August 30.
Returning to the same court on Friday, October 25, Shepherd was jailed for a total of nine years’ imprisonment. In the past five years, Shepherd sexually assaulted a girl.
Shepherd was interviewed under caution and was charged with the offences on September 24 last year.
Speaking on Monday (October 28), Detective Constable Lucy McDonagh of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: “The victim and her family have shown immense strength and courage to not only endure the horror of what happened, but also giving evidence in a trial.
“I am pleased that Shepherd has been sentenced to a significant custodial sentence as a result of his offending.
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her family for their support during this investigation.
“I hope that they will be able to put this behind them as best as they can and that the victim can move on with her life in the knowledge that her evidence helped to bring Shepherd to justice.”
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.