Houghton Regis man sentenced to 12 years for park rape
William Ward, of Parkside Close, approached the victim and her friend in a park in October last year, before luring the victim away
A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping a girl in a park in 2023.
William Ward, of Parkside Close, Houghton Regis, approached the victim and her friend in a park in October last year. He engaged them in conversation before luring the victim away under the pretence of helping her search for a lost item. He led her to a wooded area, where he committed the offence.
The victim’s friend, feeling uneasy and suspicious of Ward’s intentions, had alerted others to join them at the park. After the assault, the victim was found by her friends in a distressed state and disclosed the attack. The group confronted Ward, who denied the accusations before leaving the scene. However, they had managed to capture a video of him, which later aided in his identification and arrest.
Ward was convicted of rape of a child under 13 and assault by penetration. On Friday, 8 November, he was sentenced at Luton Crown Court to 12 years in prison.
Detective Sergeant Joanna Tyrrell of Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, who led the investigation, stated: “Ward took advantage of this young girl in the worst possible way. He targeted her when she was with her friend and lured her away into woods.
“Despite her trauma, the victim showed how brave she was throughout the investigation, and I hope she feels a sense of justice now he’s behind bars and can’t do this to anyone else.
“I also want to commend her friends as they obviously realised Ward was behaving oddly and their quick thinking and actions led to his timely arrest. It’s important to remember that if something doesn’t look or feel right, it usually isn’t.
“Tackling perpetrators of male violence against women and girls is a significant focus for us, and we will continue to pursue these types of offenders, as well as working closely with our partners to support and improve women’s safety across the county.
“We understand this can be difficult to talk about, but if you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, please report it to us. We have a number of highly experienced and trained officers and support services here to help.
“When you are ready to talk, we are here to listen.”
Reports of sexual offences can be made by calling 101 or via the Bedfordshire Police website at beds.police.uk.
For more information, visit the national "When You Are Ready" campaign at whenyouareready.co.uk.