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Man who raped girl sentenced to 15 years in prison

Euan Duncan
BBC News, Guernsey
BBC Outside of Guernsey's court building with steps leading up to a revolving glass doorBBC
The judge described the man as a "serious danger to children"

A man found guilty of multiple sexual offences including the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Guernsey has been sentenced to 15 years and five months in prison.

Ben Frank Spruce, a teenager when the offences occurred and now 20, from St Peter Port, was found guilty of five sexual offences in a trial in March that lasted two-and-a-half weeks.

He was charged with two counts of rape - as well as one count of sexual assault and two counts of sexual touching of a child involving two other girls.

Judge Catherine Fooks told the Royal Court: "You are clearly a serious danger to children and the only way to protect them is with you in prison."

The two counts of rape involved a 13-year-old girl he met on social media with the offences happening in a field near the girl's home on 26 December 2023, when he was 18 years old.

The court heard the rape victim was worried about meeting Spruce every day and still felt scared and disgusted.

The court heard there were 10 victims of his sexual crimes – eight girls and two boys, all under the age of 16.

Threatened victims

Spruce was also found guilty of a further sexual assault of a 15-year-old at Saumaurez Park when he was 17.

He also itted four counts of making indecent images of children.

Mr Spruce's sentence was backdated to 7 March 2024 and he is to be supervised on his release.

The court heard Spruce was threatening towards his victims in order to make them comply with his wishes.

He threatened a boy to force him to perform a sexual act, filmed it and then shared the video with the boy's schoolmates.

Statements from Spruce's victims were read out in court with one girl saying she had "missed a lot of school due to my mental health" and the incidents had "impacted my trust in new relationships".

Another victim said she had struggled with depression, had constant anxiety and "can still feel his hands on my body".

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