Bedford man jailed for the sexual assault of two teenagers

A teenage victim of sexual assault has spoken out after her perpetrator was jailed today (Friday) for abusing her and her sibling.
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Charles Wells, 66, of Linden Road, Bedford, was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and four of sexual assault and has been handed a three-year prison sentence.

Wells targeted the young girl when she was just 15 years old and would touch parts of her body both under and over her clothing and talk to her inappropriately about things of a sexual nature.

She later discovered that Wells had also been abusing her teenage sibling, which had started around four years before.

Charles WellsCharles Wells
Charles Wells

When the allegations were put to Wells, he said they were ludicrous and denied abusing both teenagers.

In a victim impact statement, one of the victims said: “As a result of what he did, I no longer had the confidence to wear the same clothes as I used to. I felt that if he had those thoughts about me then other people might have the same thoughts.

“I used to be an open book and allow people into my life, but it now takes a long time for me to trust anyone new. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. In fact, I don’t involve myself in a lot of things that other girls my age are doing, such as going to parties and festivals, as I’m wary of what other people’s intentions are. I just don’t want to put myself in any situation that could put me in danger.

“I know what happened to me and I just need to find a way of getting over it. I find it better to look to the future rather than the past, and at the moment I want to just move forward and think positively.”

Detective Constable Jenny Bryce, who investigated the case, said: “How Wells thought that it was acceptable to take advantage of and sexually abuse two young people who had put their trust in him is unfathomable. Child sexual abuse is one of the most heinous of crimes and we work tirelessly to support the victims through an investigation and bring these perpetrators to justice.

“I am pleased with the sentence that Wells received and hope this time will make him think long and hard about his actions and the trauma he had inflicted on these two young people. Although his sentence can’t take away what they have been through, I hope it is of some condolence to them and they are able to move forward with their lives.”

You can report concerns around child sexual abuse by calling police on 101.

Parents can visit the Parents Protect website which is run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, for lots of useful resources to help prevent child sexual abuse.