Paedophile locked up for 13 years after raping a child

Henry Herbert Lenton, 36, was convicted of:

:: One count of raping a child under 13

:: Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

:: One count of sexual assault of a child under 13

The charges relate to offences that took place against one child between January 2019 and January 2021 in Bordon, near Petersfield.

Lenton, of Barton Village Road in Oxford, denied the charges but following a four day trial at Winchester Crown Court, he was found guilty of all four counts.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court today, Lenton was jailed for 13 years with a one year extended licence period.

In addition to his custodial sentence, Lenton will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable James Copley from Hampshire Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation team said: ‘This was a horrific and prolonged period of abuse against a child.

‘I would like to commend the child for their courage in coming forward and telling us what happened and for their bravery throughout this investigation.

‘We know how hard it is to come forward and report abuse which is why we have specially trained officers who support survivors throughout the investigation and the court process.

‘No child should have to suffer and we hope this case shows that we are committed to bringing to justice those who target children in this way.

‘We encourage anyone who is being abused or knows of someone who is being abused to contact us on 101 where you can speak to one of our specialist officers in confidence.

‘Alternatively, people can contact Childline on 0800 1111, or if you are an adult who has concerns about a child, you can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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