Jailed: Man who sexually abused daughter up to 40 times
AFORMER swimming club chairman who repeatedly sexually abused his daughter has been jailed for 10 years.
Former Rawtenstall Swimming Club chairman Stephen Keen ‘ manipulated and controlled’ his daughter Donna White when she was a teenager and then sexually assaulted her last year as an adult, a court heard.
Keen abused her over a 20 year period, with the crimes being committed at their family home and also at his workshop in Rossendale Hospital, where he was employed as a joiner.
The 60-year-old, of Hill Crest, Stacksteads, also admitted sexually assaulting a second girl.
Ms White has bravely waived her right to anonymity and told the Free Press that despite his crimes Keen had ‘always been a good dad’ and that he ‘deeply regrets’ his actions.
After the sentencing, she said she now hopes he can make peace with his actions.
Prosecutor Philip Boyd said Ms White, 36, contacted police in July last year to say she had been abused by Keen, and the defendant admitted the offences when interviewed the next day.
The court heard how Ms White claimed how ‘there must have been 20, 30, 40 times’ when she was abused between the ages of 13 and 18 and that Keen made her perform sex acts on him.
Mr Boyd said the victim would ‘curl into a ball’ when Keen tried to abuse her. When she tried to fight him off he said ‘it’s okay, it’s okay’.
The court heard that Keen sexually abused Ms White again last year when he turned up drunk at her house.
Bob Elias, defending, said they were ‘grossly unpleasant and highly damaging’ offences and praised the ‘courage’ of his victims who attended the court hearing.
He told the judge that Keen should not be classed as a dangerous offender because they are ‘not persistent or predatory offences’ and the prospect of his re-offending is ‘very slight indeed’.
Mr Elias said his ‘wife is standing by him’ and his family have shown him ‘understanding and affection’.
Keen pleaded guilty to indecent assault, inde- cency with a child, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
He was given a 10-year jail sentence and an extended five-year licence period, a restraining order and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
In a statement released after the hearing, Rossendale Swimming club said: “We were made aware of the allegations following a previous newspaper article published by the Free Press.
“We immediately contacted the police to understand the nature of the claims.
“The detective informed us that the claims were historic and unrelated to the swimming club.
“Mr Keen has not been involved in the club for over five years and out of respect for the victims the club wish to make no further comment.
“Should any current members wish to speak to the club we are available as always on Wednesday evening.”