Prolific paedophile jailed for more than 20 years following investigation by Force’s Child Protection Team

A prolific child sex offender has been handed a hefty prison sentence following a two-year investigation by the force’s child protection team. 

Kevin Cannon, aged 57, from Weston Favell, Northampton, was convicted of 27 charges of child rape, serious sexual assault and grooming. The offences relate to several victims who he abused over a number of years.

This Monday, February 7, at Northampton Crown Court, Cannon was handed a prison sentence of 21 years and nine months, plus an additional 10 years on licence. He will remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Detective Constable Selena Leppard, who led the investigation, said: “I’m pleased with the hefty sentence handed down by the court after what has been a long and difficult investigation.

“Cannon is an extremely dangerous man who infiltrated himself into his victim’s lives, grooming them until they viewed him as somebody they could trust and depend on.

“He went on to abuse this trust in order to manipulate and abuse them, using his outwardly honest and reliable persona in order to sustain his vile, predatory activities.

“If these brave victims not had the courage to speak up against him, I’m in little doubt he would have continued his offending while destroying more lives.

“I want to bear testimony to the victim’s immense bravery and strength, supporting what has been a complex, two-year investigation. I hope the result goes some way to helping them rebuild their lives.

“This case is yet another example that Northamptonshire Police will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice is done. Regardless of how long ago offences happened, we will do all we can to ensure offenders are put behind bars and victims receive the justice they deserve.”

If you have been a victim of sexual assault, whether recent or non-recent, please come forward and call us on 101 or use our online reporting tool at www.northants.pnn.police.uk

Help and support for people abused in childhood:

The Survivors Trust http://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/ National Association for People Abused in Childhood  http://www.napac.org.uk/ National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children http://www.nspcc.org.uk/ Victim Support http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/