A Paedophile, Philip Rigby, has been incarcerated for the sexual abuse of children in Congleton. Philip Rigby, formerly identified as Philip Benson, was sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in jail at Chester Crown Court on Monday, 24 March, and mandated to register as a sex offender for life.
A 55-year-old resident of River Street, Congleton, previously entered a guilty plea for the indecent assault of a girl under 14 and five charges of buggery.
The court was informed that Philip Rigby sexually assaulted three children from November 1982 to November 1988.
Detective Constable Vicky Taylor, who spearheaded the investigation, stated: “I wish to commend the three complainants for their remarkable courage in this case, despite having to recount the trauma inflicted by Rigby.” Their comprehensive testimony and collaboration with the inquiry were essential in obtaining the convictions in this case.
“Philip Rigby was entrusted to look after and protect the victims, and instead he took that trust and used it to take advantage of them, using them for his own sexual gratification.
“It is truly a testament to the strength, courage and determination of the complainants in this case that we have been able to bring Rigby to justice, more than 40 years since the abuse occurred. I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide them with some closure and help them with their recovery.
“Sexual abuse of children causes trauma to all involved, not least the victim themselves, and I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – to come forward and report it.
“We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”
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.