Man sentenced to 11 years in prison following historic sexual offences

A man was sentenced to 11 years in prison following multiple sexual offences over the course of 13 years when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday (27 June).

Richard Rowles, 42, of Churchill Way, Sunbury-on-Thames, was found guilty of ten counts of sexual offences, including sexual assault against a child under the age of 16.

Surrey Police began investigating the case in October 2017 after the victim came forward to report the offences, which dated back to 2003. Following a thorough investigation, Rowles was arrested and charged.

Detective Constable Sara McDowell, who investigated the case, said: “Richard Rowles committed multiple sexual offences against the victim, which began when she was just 6 years old.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim for her bravery in not only coming forward in the first place, but then for re-living her ordeal when she gave evidence in court. I hope that the fact that Rowles has received a lengthy jail sentence can help her to move on with her life.

“Surrey Police takes all reports involving sexual offences extremely seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been the victim of a similar offence to come forward.”

Please call us on 101 (or 999 in an emergency). For further support and advice, please contact the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre http://www.rasasc.org/ or the National Association for People Abused in Childhood https://napac.org.uk/