Plymouth rapist starts 16 years in prison

He committed 26 sex offences against two girls

A Plymouth man has been jailed for 16 years and four months for non-recent sex offences against two girls.

Simon Watts, 58, pleaded guilty at Exeter Crown Court to six counts of rape, 15 counts of indecent assault, three of sexual assault and two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, with two victims involved between 1993 and 2010.

Detective sergeant Chris Kinski said: “We would like to commend the bravery and the strength of the victims in this case for coming forward and reporting these offences to us.

“We understand the enormity of coming to the police and disclosing these types of offences and the fear of not being believed.

“There is also the fear with non-recent cases of sexual abuse that the police can’t do much, but this shows that if you come to us and report any cases of sexual abuse, recent or not, we will investigate these crimes and we are wholeheartedly committed to bringing offenders to justice and supporting survivors of sexual abuse.

“We have no doubt these offences committed against the victims will be with them forever and we now hope that the sentence given out today can help provide some sense of closure and the victims can move on with the same courage and determination they have shown throughout this process.”

He added: “I would like to say a thank you to all the officers involved in the investigation, especially the two in charge of the case, whose dedication to the investigation and support of the victims has ensured justice has been done today.

“This could not have been achieved without the Crown Prosecution Service and the close working relationship we have with them, which has ensured we were able to present the evidence effectively and ensure a just sentence has been passed on behalf of the victims.

“We would urge anyone suffering in silence to come forward. As this case shows, you will be believed and supported and together we will hold offenders to account for their crimes.”