The courage of a young girl has guaranteed her rapist, the Liverpool Paedophile, Alexander Sherwood, will serve nearly twenty years in prison following a conviction for 12 sexual crimes.
Alexander Sherwood was convicted by a jury following the courageous testimony of his victim, who revealed the abhorrent acts she endured.
Subsequent to an initial disclosure to officers in our Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team, the victim gained the confidence to report more incidences of sexual abuse, resulting in the decision to apprehend Sherwood.
The 52-year-old, Alexander Sherwood, endeavoured to evade arrest by travelling from Rotherham to Liverpool but was swiftly apprehended and subsequently prosecuted after a comprehensive investigation.
Alexander Sherwood, residing on Stanley Road in Liverpool, rejected the charges and refused to acknowledge his culpability, yet was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court in February after a four-day trial.
On Monday, May 19, Alexander Sherwood was sentenced by the same court to 19 years of imprisonment for four counts of rape, four counts of assault by penetration, two counts of assault by touching, one charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and one count of causing a child to view an image of a sexual nature.
Alexander Sherwood received an indefinite restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Trussell said:
“The bravery of the victim in this case must be commended, it takes a lot of courage to report something of this nature.
“No child should ever be a victim of sexual assault and rape and I hope that this result shows others survivors of abuse that when they come forward, they will be listened to and treated with respect through every step of the prosecution process.”
All victims of sexual offences have a legal right to life long anonymity. It is a criminal offence to name them or share any information which may lead to them being identified.
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 101 (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.