Man jailed for raping a young girl over a number of years
A man has been jailed for 18 years for repeatedly raping a girl from when she was very young.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Christopher McConnell, 36, from Warrington, carried out the assaults over a number of years, at a variety of locations.
He threatened her that if she told anyone, she would be punished. He used force to commit the sexual acts, and made her fear for her safety if she told anyone.
She found the courage to tell an adult, and the abuse was reported to the Police. The Police found McConnell’s DNA on the child’s underwear and on the floor of her bedroom. A medical examination showed that she had suffered injuries because of the assaults.
McConnell was arrested on 1 September. He denied the abuse. He was charged with 18 offences, including assault, sexual assault and rape of a child under 13 years of age.
He was found guilty in relation to four counts of rape of a child under 13 years of age. He was acquitted of the other counts. On 26 January 2023 at Liverpool Crown Court he was sentenced to 18 years in prison and one year on extended licence.
The CPS applied for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to be imposed to prevent further offending. This was granted by the court and imposed for 20 years. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Sarah Egan, a specialist prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: "Christopher McConnell subjected this young girl to repeated sexual abuse over a number of years. He used force to commit some of the offences, including placing a pillow over her head so she felt like she could not breath.
"He also made threats to maintain her silence. McConnell continued his denials throughout the investigation and trial, showing his total lack of remorse.
"The victim has shown immense strength and courage in reporting these crimes, and she and her family have dealt with these proceedings with great dignity.
"The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the victim, her family, the prosecution witnesses, and the prosecution team for helping bring this man to justice. We would like to encourage any person who has been the victim of sexual abuse to report this to the Police."