Man jailed for child sex assault in Basingstoke
Stephen Cooper had denied the charges
A man has been jailed for 16 years after he sexually assaulted a child in Basingstoke.
Stephen Cooper, 61, of The Drove at Blackfield near Southampton, assaulted the girl when she was aged between four and six during a two-year period from March 2021 to March 2023.
Following an extensive investigation, Cooper was charged with:
Four counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13
Sexual assault of a girl under 13 by penetration
Engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child under 13
Causing /inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity
Cooper denied the offences but was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. He was jailed for a total of 16 years at Salisbury Crown Court.
Courage
Detective Constable Fiona Leman-Lawrie, from the Northern Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:
“It took a tremendous amount of courage for the young victim in this case to tell us what had happened to her.
“I have nothing but the greatest admiration for the bravery both she and her family showed throughout the investigation and court process.
“Without them we would not have been able to secure this outcome and we would sincerely like to thank them.
“While I know this result won’t rid the victim and her family of the memories of what Cooper did, I truly hope it allows them to move forward, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm any other children.
“I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.
“If anything of this nature has happened to you, please come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.”
Reporting
Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse should contact Police on 101, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Police say they recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse.
Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood, or is concerned about a child, can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.