Cheshire man found guilty of historic child sex abuse
Mark Anthony Foster of Forster Avenue, Weaverham, was found guilty of 20 offences.
Last updated 15th Apr 2024
A Cheshire man who subjected a young girl to a series of sexual abuse more than 20 years ago has been convicted.
Following a 13-day trial at Chester Crown Court, Mark Anthony Foster - known as Tony - of Forster Avenue, Weaverham, was found guilty of 11 counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, four counts of rape of a girl under 16, four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14 and one count of rape of a girl over 16.
A jury heard Foster targeted the girl between 1995 and 2001, when the victim was aged between nine and sixteen.
The victim - who bravely came forward to police in August 2020 - was groomed and subject to indecent assaults and rapes. over a period of seven years.
61-year-old Foster will be sentenced on 13 June.
Following his conviction, DC Paul Beesley from Cheshire Police said: “Firstly, I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, who not only came forward to report what had happened to her, but also endured the process of a trial after Foster refused to take accountability for his horrifying actions.
“The offences that the victim reported were some of the most horrific and violent, and clearly demonstrate the grooming she sustained.
“The offences were persistent sexualised abuse that Foster subjected her to over a seven-year period, which became more violent as time progressed, including administering the victim with medication before raping her.
“But thanks to the strength of the evidence against him, Foster has been found guilty of a number of offences.
“As this case shows, we treat all reports of non-recent sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.
“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or through our website.”