Northamptonshire man jailed after having sex with 15-year-old at Latitude festival
The 32-year-old told the girl and her friend that he was a security guard at the festival, before giving them alcohol and having sex with the victim
A 32-year-old man from Northamptonshire has been jailed for over three years, after being convicted of having sex with a girl under the age of consent at the Latitude Festival.
Alex Stokes appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 11 July, where he was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment. He was also made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Stokes, formerly of Burns Road in Wellingborough, had been found guilty on 23 May following a 10-day trial, of the offence of having penetrative sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
He was found not guilty of two other charges, namely rape against the victim of the offence he has been convicted of, and also sexual assault against a second complainant.
The offence occurred at the 2022 Latitude Festival in Henham Park. The victim and her friend had encountered Stokes at around 11pm on the night of Saturday 23 July and he told them he was a security guard, which he was not.
It later transpired he had been working there as a steward, a role from which he had been dismissed earlier in the weekend for failing to fulfil the duties of his role. He should have surrendered his pass and refrained from re-entering the site, but he failed to comply with this direction.
The two girls informed him that there were both 15-years-old and that they had been drinking alcohol. They then spent some time with Stokes in one of the music tents, during which they said he provided them with more alcohol. Following this they went outside the tent and at this point Stokes had sex with the victim.
The victim and her friend then managed to get away from Stokes by saying they needed to use the toilet. Here they were seen by another festival goer to be in a state of distress and the victim disclosed what had just happened. They then attended the welfare tent and spoke with the festival safeguarding lead officer who called police.
On Monday 25 July, Stokes was identified as a suspect after the victim’s friend provided a video clip from social media. Immediate attempts were made to locate him and he was arrested two days later by Northamptonshire Police, on behalf of Suffolk Constabulary.
He was subsequently bailed following this arrest, having denied any contact with the victim or her friend. The police investigation continued over the following year, with forensic evidence later linking him to the crime, resulting in charges being brought against him in November 2023.
Detective Constable Sam Jones, of the East Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: “Alex Stokes took advantage of a young girl, who was almost half his age at the time of the offence and who had told him she was just 15 – having only turned 15 a matter of days before.
“He deliberately attempted to gain the trust of the victim and her friend by claiming to be a security guard and the fact that he continued to provide them with alcohol, demonstrates clear predatory behaviour towards a vulnerable teenage girl.
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her friend for their bravery in working with us to secure this conviction. This incident will no doubt have had a huge impact on them at such a young age, but I hope Stokes’ conviction will enable them both to move forward with their lives.
“I would also like to thank the festival organisers and staff for their prompt reporting of the offence to police officers on duty at the site and their cooperation with the investigation going forward.”