Paedophile rapist jailed for 24 years at Portsmouth Crown Court after series of offences

Keith Heselton, 63, was sent to jail at Portsmouth Crown Court following the sickening abuse against a girl under the age of 10 between June 2005 and March 2006.

READ NOW: Police announcement

He was found guilty following a trial of two offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, one offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two offences of raping a girl under 13, one offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, and two offences of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration. The offences took place in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

On Monday 12 June Heselton, of Mulberry Mead in Whitchurch, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 24 years in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years, an additional five year license order, and a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Police Staff Investigator Louisa Parkin said: ‘The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful abuse for decades, I’m pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I’d like to commend her bravery for coming forward and sticking with the investigation.

‘We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases.’

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