After sexually attacking a youngster over two years, a Blackfield paedophile Stephen Cooper has been imprisoned.
On Friday, Stephen Cooper of The Drove, Blackfield, was imprisoned at Salisbury Crown Court for sixteen years.
Previously found guilty of several charges involving the sexual assault of a small child between March 2021 and March 2023, the 61-year-old
At the time, the girl was four to six years old.
Stephen Cooper was accused of four counts of non-penetrative sexual behaviour with a girl under 13 and sexual abuse of a girl under 13 by penetration following a protracted investigation.
He was also accused of having intercourse in front of a youngster and of encouraging a female under 13 to have sex.
Stephen Cooper contested the charges, which all occurred in Basingstoke, but a jury found him guilty at Winchester Crown Court.
A jury found Stephen Cooper guilty at Winchester Crown Court.
“It took a great deal of courage for the young victim in this case to tell us what had happened to her,” Northern Child Abuse Investigation Team detective Constable Fiona Leman-Lawrie said.
“I greatly respect the bravery she and her family displayed during the court case and inquiry.
We want to thank them as without them we would not have been able to guarantee this result.
“I hope this helps the victim and her family to go forward, safe in the knowledge that Stephen Cooper can no longer damage any other children. However, I know this result won’t clear the memory of Stephen Cooper’s actions.
“I also hope this punishment will reassure other victims that they will be heard when they disclose like events to us.
“If anything of this kind has happened to you, come forward to talk to us. We aggressively seek to bring perpetrators to justice and take claims of this kind very seriously.
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.