Sean Richmond, a Loughton Paedophile, has been incarcerated following his conviction for sexual offences committed in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Sean Richmond, 53, of Hillyfields, Loughton, was sentenced to almost nine years in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday, 18 September, following his conviction for 14 historical sexual crimes.
Richmond’s actions were reported to Essex Police in 2015 following two victims’ allegations of sexual assault occurring between 1985 and 1991.
Sean Richmond was arrested; however, after consulting with the CPS, he was informed that he would not face further action. Essex Police persisted in their investigations, considering reapproaching the CPS with additional evidence. Subsequently, three other victims approached Essex Police to allege that they had been sexually assaulted by Sean Richmond over 30 years prior.
Sean Richmond was arrested again and charged with 18 offences, including attempted rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault.
A trial began at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, 28 May 2024, when Sean Richmond entered a guilty plea to 14 offences on the second day of the trial.
He was convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child and one count of attempted rape.
Following the conviction, one of the victims said: “To our innocent, beautiful younger selves, it’s all over now we’re free.”
Sean Richmond appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday (18 September), sentenced to nine years and six months in prison. Sean Richmond was also subject to an indefinite Restraining Order and will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Investigating officer T/Detective Constable Matthew D Edson said, “I hope this sentence highlights that there is no time limit to getting justice.
“Sean Richmond is no doubt a danger, and he has spent decades thinking he could get away with abusing children.
“Being able to ring the five victims in this case and tell them that Sean Richmond had been convicted was one of the proudest moments of my career. Getting justice like this is why my colleagues and I do our part to protect the public and catch criminals.
“I commend the victims in this case for their strength, patience and fortitude. We know the effects such offending has on victims and their families, and I thank them for remaining steadfast in their support for the investigation and the progression to court.
“No matter when an offence occurred, we will always investigate to ensure that dangerous people like Sean Richmond are held accountable.”
Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.
Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis). Synergy Essex is independent from the police and supports victims and survivors throughout their journey.
Victims and survivors can self-refer or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy. For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.
For more information, visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/
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.