Jailed, rapist who plied young victim with drugs
MAN, 56, WHO ALSO BEAT TEENAGER DURING LONG CAMPAIGN OF ABUSE IS LOCKED UP FOR 11 YEARS
A MAN has been jailed for raping and beating a young woman and plying her with drugs starting when she was a teenager.
Shaun Freeman 56, of Great Howarth, Rochdale, was sentenced to 13 years in prison at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.
A jury found him guilty of four counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of supplying class B drugs and one count of assault.
The court heard how the victim was 14 when Freeman began giving her drugs and just 15 when he began making sexual advances towards her.
Over the space of several years he would then give her drugs, including amphetamines, before raping her and sexually abusing her.
He often kept her suffering the effects of the drugs he gave to her and on one occasion he accused her of being with another man before repeatedly beating her with a hammer.
In 2014, the woman bravely reported the abuse to police after escaping his clutches.
Det Con Hayley Thornley, from GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Freeman denied all of the offences from day one but the police and the jury saw straight through his lies.
“He ruined the victim’s childhood. Being groomed from such a young age has caused significant emotional trauma to the victim.
“Hopefully this sentence will provide her with some final closure.
“I would like to praise the victim for her courage throughout this case. By coming forward and reporting this to police she has helped us put a dangerous man behind bars, protecting the public, and especially, young girls from being abused by Freeman.”
An NSPCC spokesman said: “Freeman is clearly a dangerous individual and we can only begin to imagine the horrific abuse his victim suffered at his hands and the affect it has had on her life.
“As well as destroying her childhood Freeman denied his crimes, putting her through the trauma in court of reliving what he had done.
“Sexual abuse can ruin lives and Freeman’s victim should now be given every support to recover from her ordeal.
“We want anyone who has suffered abuse to know they will be listened to, no matter how much time has passed since the offences took place.”
Adults with concerns about a child can call our Helpline on 0808 8005000. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.