Jail for man who raped teen
HE BEFRIENDED VICTIM, GROOMED HER – THEN RAPED THE TERRIFIED DERBYSHIRE GIRL
A RAPIST who targeted a teenage girl from Derbyshire has been jailed for 14 years.
Derby Crown Court heard how Anthony Langham befriended the victim before grooming and sexually attacking her.
The 56-year-old kissed, sexually assaulted and then finally raped the terrified girl, who finally plucked up the courage to disclose what happened to her years later.
The girl, now in her 20s, had to give evidence in court as her made her re-live her ordeal by pleading not guilty.
In a victim impact statement, read to the court by prosecutor Robert Underwood, the woman said: “Every day I ask myself, ‘why me?’ and ‘will he do it again?’
“That is why I came forward so he will not be able to do to anyone what he did to me.
“It has affected every aspect of my life.
“I cannot get a job because I cannot trust men, I feel very angry at everything and everyone.”
The trial heard how the grooming began in the Ilkeston area.
Langham, a father and grandfather of Pasture Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, got to know the girl, gaining her trust and then cruelly abusing it to sexually assault her.
Jailing him, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “She was under the age of 16 when you carried this out and she had to come to court and give evidence which she found very traumatic.
“She started smoking and you saw that as a opportunity to supply her with cigarettes and groom her.
“During that time you made her life an absolutely misery, she had no-one to turn to and no-one to tell,” the judge added.
“That’s because you said to her ,‘you can’t tell anyone or we will both get into trouble.’
“It was only later in life that she built up the courage to tell anyone what took place.”
Langham was found guilty of 10 offences by a jury.
They were rape, attempted rape, a number of counts of sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Michael Stradling, mitigating, said his client has three grown-up children and eight grandchildren.
He said: “His ex-wife is in court and thinks enough of him to come and support him today.
“The defendant has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and has been on oxygen for the past two years.
“He is also on anti-depressants having suffered from depression for a number of years.
“He has a supportive family and he would like there to be some light at the end of the tunnel for him when he is finally released from what will be a lengthy custodial sentence.”
Langham will serve a minimum of two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before being eligible to apply for parole and released on licence.
He will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.