Child rapist sentenced to six years in jail

A man who admitted raping a 10-year-old child after grooming her into believing they were in a legitimate relationship has been jailed for six years.

Ryan Sutton, aged 24, met the girl on the messaging app Snapchat in March 2023, sharing messages and images.

Their contact then moved onto texting, phone calls and FaceTime video chats, leading the girl to believe Sutton was her boyfriend and was in love with her.

On April 23, 2023, Sutton travelled from his home in Worcestershire to meet the girl in Finedon.

They were later found together in woodland, prompting Sutton to run off. He was later arrested while trying to leave the area by car.

An investigation was launched by the Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) at Northamptonshire Police, amid concerns that Sutton had had sexual contact with the girl.

Condoms had been found in his bag at the time of his arrest, but the victim had not indicated any sexual abuse – it would take almost three months for her to bravely reveal to officers that Sutton had in fact raped and sexually assaulted her, disclosures which were backed up by forensic evidence.

Sutton went on to be charged with rape of a girl under 13, assault of a girl under 13 by touching, assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and being an adult meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.

On February 22, 2024, Sutton, of Astwood Road, Worcester, entered guilty pleas to the charges at court.

On Thursday, December 19, he appeared at Northampton Crown Court for sentencing, where he was jailed for six years, with a further year to be served on extended licence.

Sutton was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Speaking afterwards, investigating officer Detective Constable James Wright, said: “Ryan Sutton is one of the worst child sex offenders that I have investigated, and I believe he will always pose a risk to young girls.

“He meticulously groomed his young victim to a point where she believed that he loved her and wanted to be with her. He preyed on her vulnerability, and this culminated in him meeting with her and then raping her.

“He showed no remorse when he was arrested, or interviewed, and even with overwhelming forensic evidence against him he still denied any wrongdoing, at one point blaming this young child for what had happened.

“It was only when it got to the point of his first court hearing that he admitted his guilt, but even then, he acted as if he was the victim in all of this.

“I hope he does take the years in prison as a time to reflect, but that remains to be seen.

“I would like to thank every officer involved in this investigation, as this was very much a huge team effort. Right from the first responding officers who helped the victim, to the arresting officers who caught Sutton, and the investigation team, everyone was a key part of bringing this sex offender to justice.

“Moreover, I would like to thank the young victim and her family. The victim has shown bravery beyond her years in coming forward and speaking to the police about what happened to her, and her family have supported her through this extremely tough time.

“I am hopeful that they will now be able to start to try to put this behind them and move on with their lives, knowing that Sutton is in prison, and they have helped to stop a very dangerous man from offending again.”

*This report and custody image have been released with the support of the victim-survivor, who has the legal right to lifelong anonymity, and her family.*

You can report any potential illegal online activity to Northamptonshire Police on 101, or online at www.northants.police.uk/RO. In an emergency, such as a crime in progress, always dial 999.

If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this report, find advice and support here: https://www.northants.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/