Brandon man jailed for rape and child sex offences

A 56-year-old man from Brandon has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of seven offences, including rape and sexual assaults against children.

Simon Harrington, of North Court, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 27 September.

Harrington had stood accused of 13 charges as follows: four counts of rape of a woman; three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration; two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; two counts of sexual activity with a child; and two counts of indecent assault of a child under 13.

He denied all 13 offences, but following a 10-day trial he was found guilty of seven of the charges on Monday 9 September as follows:

• Two counts of rape of a woman
• One count of sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• One count of sexual activity with a child
• One count of indecent assault

Harrington was found not guilty of the other six offences.

The crimes relate to three separate victims and took place over a period of around 20 years dating back to the 1990s.

Detective Constable Jasmine Mulley, of the West Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: “The crimes committed by Simon Harrington are among the worst we have investigated.

“These were truly despicable offences for which he will now spend a significant amount of time in prison.

“I want to pay tribute to the victims for their bravery in coming forward and working with us to ensure Harrington was made to face justice.

“I hope this case demonstrates that despite the passage of time, we can still prosecute perpetrators of sexual assaults and sexual violence against women and girls. We want victims to feel confident that if they contact us, we will listen and we will investigate.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual violence, please report it to police via the online reporting tool at: https://www.suffolk.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

Further information, support and advice can be found here:

The Ferns – Suffolk Sexual Assault Referral Centre – https://www.theferns-suffolk.org.uk

Survivors in Transition - Specialist support in Suffolk for female and male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, violence and exploitation - www.survivorsintransition.co.uk

Brave Futures - https://bravefutures.org - a therapeutic service for children and young people up to 21 years who have reported being sexually abused and to offer support for their families.