Loughton: Man jailed for non-recent sexual offences

A man has been jailed after being convicted of sexual offences which occurred in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Sean Richmond, 53 of Hillyfields, Loughton appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday, 18 September, where he was sentenced to over nine years in prison after being convicted of 14 non-recent sexual offences.

Richmond’s offences were reported to Essex Police in 2015, after two victims reported that they had been sexually abused between 1985 and 1991.

He was arrested, however following consultation with the CPS, Richmond was told he would face no further action. Essex Police continued enquiries, looking at the possibility of re-approaching the CPS with further evidence. Three further victims then contacted Essex Police to report that they had been sexually abused by Richmond over 30 years ago.

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 with Richmond entering 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.”

Richmond appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday (18 September) where he was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison. Richmond was also made 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 that this sentence highlights that there is no time limit to getting justice.

“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 Richmond had been convicted was one of the proudest moments of my career. Getting justice like this is the reason myself and my colleagues 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 took place, 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 provides support for 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/