A man who subjected a vulnerable young girl to years of sustained sexual abuse 17 years ago has been jailed for 12 years, following a National Crime Agency investigation.
David Fish, 46, of Kilnhurst in Rotherham, raped, wounded and forced the girl to take part in sexually explicit videos over the course of two years.
Fish began grooming the girl in 2007, when she was around 15 years old and in care.
After approaching the girl and her friends at a local park, Fish, who was in his 20s, exchanged numbers with her.
The young girl was infatuated with the much-older Fish, who often plied her with drugs and alcohol, going on to exploit her trust in him by coercing her into sex.
The victim recalled on one occasion waking up to find Fish raping her.
She told NCA investigators how Fish would turn violent and in one incident – when he believed she had been flirting with someone else – he smashed a mug against her head with such force that she required stitches for the resulting injury.
Officers from Operation Stovewood – the NCA’s investigation into historic allegations of sexual abuse in Rotherham – launched an investigation in 2018, after reviewing a report the victim had made to police.
The victim, by then in her 20s, agreed to talk to NCA officers. After investigators listened to the woman’s account, they identified corroborating evidence and arrested Fish in 2020.
The officers seized Fish’s computer and digital forensic specialists subsequently trawled through a huge quantity of files saved on it. They recovered graphic sexual images of the victim as a child, which Fish had taken and kept.
This evidence supported the victim’s testimony that Fish had filmed sexual videos of her – allegations which he had fervently denied.
He was sentenced today [5 November] at Sheffield Crown Court for two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography, one count of rape, and one count of unlawful wounding.
NCA officer in the case, Steve Palmer, said: “Fish has faced justice seventeen years after targeting, manipulating and abusing a vulnerable young girl, thanks to the courage of the victim and the hard work of National Crime Agency investigators.
“Investigators listened to the victim’s account and subsequently identified corroborating evidence. Though the victim will always live with what Fish did, I hope his sentencing will bring her a measure of peace and allow her to move forward.””It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse, so I encourage victims to report to police what happened to them.”
Adults can report sexual abuse suffered as a child by calling police on 101, or reporting it in person at a police station. Specially trained officers are ready to help victims.
Jeanette Smith, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The cruel campaign of abuse and violence the victim suffered at the hands of David Fish is appalling.
“Fish used gifts, drugs and alcohol to groom, coerce and manipulate a child into entering a relationship with him, all for his own sexual gratification.
“The way he used threats and violence to then control the victim and enforce his demands for sex was completely despicable.
“This kind of abuse can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma, and I would like to thank the victim in this case for her courage in coming forward and talking to the police about what happened to her. I hope she can find some comfort in knowing that this offender has now been brought to justice.
“The CPS will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims of abuse and will always seek to hold violent offenders to account for their crimes. I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and domestic violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. It is never too late to seek justice.”
The NCA’s Operation Stovewood remains the single biggest investigation of its kind, looking at allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. NCA officers have identified more than 1,100 victims, and to date 37 people – including Fish – have been convicted. More than 50 active investigations remain ongoing.
05 November 2024
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