A Southampton man has been sentenced to ten years in prison following his conviction for the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
Shane Allen, 43, of Graham Street, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday, 3 July. He appeared before the same court on Tuesday, 2 September, to be sentenced for two counts of sexual assault against a child, who was just six years old at the time of the offences.
The assaults took place in Hythe between Saturday, 13 November 2021, and Saturday, 16 July 2022.
In addition to his prison term, Allen has been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a restraining order, and is required to register with the police under the terms of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Trainee Detective Constable Elliot Thorne, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team (West), praised the courage of the victim and their family. “I am pleased for the young victim in this case that justice has now been served for them and their family, and that Allen has now been placed behind bars for a significant period of time,” he said.
“I’d like to place on record my praise and admiration for the very young victim and the courage and determination they have shown throughout, supported by their family. Additionally, I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in this case, helping to secure this outcome. Their support and hard work during the investigation has ensured a dangerous man is now locked away and no longer able to harm any other child.
“While I know this result won’t rid the victim and their family of the memories of what Allen did, I truly hope it allows them to move forward, safe in the knowledge that he has now been punished for his crimes and can no longer repeat his offending.”
Trainee DC Thorne also urged other victims of sexual offences to come forward. “I really hope this sentence will reassure victims, both children and adults, that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us. We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice, as this case hopefully again evidences.
“This case should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice for your crimes.”
Hampshire Police have encouraged anyone with concerns about child abuse to contact them on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Support is available for anyone affected by abuse, whether or not they choose to report it. The NSPCC can be contacted confidentially on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can speak to Childline on 0800 1111.
