Stephen Capper, the Torquay Paedophile, has been incarcerated for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl from Gloucestershire during a coach tour to Austria two decades ago.
Stephen Capper, 68, residing on Manor Road, Torquay, was employed as a coach driver by Wallace Arnold Coaches in July 2003, tasked with transporting tour groups on holidays to Europe.
The teenage victim, vacationing in Austria with family, reported that Stephen Capper confronted her at the hotel one evening, persistently soliciting her room number, and then appeared uninvited at her room. Upon arrival, he sexually assaulted her orally.
Prior to exiting the room, Stephen Capper informed her that ‘this must remain confidential, as it could lead to repercussions for you.’ After a trial in November of the previous year, Stephen Capper was convicted of indecent assault under the Sexual Offences Act 1956, as the incident occurred before the implementation of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
On Tuesday at Gloucester Crown Court, Stephen Capper received a sentence of four years and three months in jail, along with a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Law enforcement has commended the victim for her bravery and resolve in pursuing the case.
Appearing in court to read out her Victim Personal Statement, the victim said: “Despite the incident happening 19 years ago, I still vividly remember how I felt immediately after I closed my hotel room door once he had left.
“I felt disgusting, shocked, embarrassed and I felt scared. I was warned that if anyone was to find out about what had happened, that I would be the one who would get into trouble. This is what, to my young and naïve mind, ultimately forced my silence for so long.
“Over the years, I tried inconceivably hard to bury my feelings and thoughts, and I tried to carry on and act as normal as I could. Ultimately, I would continue to live with this coping mechanism for 16 years until 2019 when I finally felt ready to speak my truth.
“Unfortunately, by this point, the damage caused was already irreversible and I quickly realised that I had allowed this inscrutable secret to subconsciously control and affect my life for over 16 years.”
Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Detective Constable Elle Macleod, who led the investigation, said: “The victim has shown amazing courage in coming forward to the police and remained resilient in supporting the criminal justice process to its conclusion.
“I wish to commend the victim for her bravery and strength, and for helping to ensure no further victims ever come to harm at the hands of this defendant. Now she has finally got some closure for what she was subjected to and I hope she can begin to rebuild her life.”
Acting Detective Inspector Faye Satchwell-Bennett, from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team, said: “Specialist staff from both Gloucestershire Constabulary and Crown Prosecution Service use the tenacity of their specialist investigating skills in these matters, to build a strong case for presentation at trial and in providing a high level of support to the victim.
“Both our agencies are determined to support victims of rape through the initial reporting and onto trial. We actively encourage the reporting of these matters so they can be investigated by our combined specialist resources and are jointly dedicated to bringing sex offenders to justice, regardless of how long ago a crime happened.”
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