Harrogate man jailed for child sexual offences
Ricky Clench was sentenced to 15 years behind bars at Teeside Crown Court
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A man from Harrogate has been jailed for 15 years for raping a child under the age of 13.
Ricky Clench was also found guilty of assaulting a child under 13 and engaging a child in sexual activity.
The 41-year-old appeared at Teeside Crown Court on Wednesday morning after being remanded into custody overnight.
Police say the offences took place between 2017 and 2018, when Clench lived in Northallerton.
His victim then contacted North Yorkshire Police.
Clench denied the charges against him throughout his trial, but a jury found him guilty of all three offences.
Detective Constable Jason Roper, of Northallerton CID, led the investigation.
He said: “The significant sentence handed to Ricky Clench reflects the gravity of the offences he has committed. He is a predatory and manipulative paedophile who has shown no consideration for his victim throughout the investigation and the court proceedings.
“Thankfully he is now behind bars for a very long time and has been made subject to two lifetime protection orders, preventing him from inflicting harm on any other innocent victims.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the victim for their bravery and courage in coming forward to report such a harrowing experience, and also to their family for the support they have shown throughout the investigation.”