Bedfordshire man jailed for historic child sex offences after courageous victim speaks out

A man has been jailed for child sexual offences which took place 15 years ago, after his victim found the courage to confide in a family member and report the abuse to police.

Christopher Baron, 31, of Addingtons Road, Great Barford, was jailed after pleading guilty to 12 counts of child sexual offences which took place between 2004 and 2005.

In a statement to the court, the victim revealed how being abused as a child had a long-lasting detrimental impact on both quality of life and mental health and, after seeking help, decided in 2017 that it was time to speak out and “not drag it around any longer.”

Baron pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault, two counts of engaging in a sexual activity with a child, four counts of inciting a child to commit gross indecency and four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

On December 4, Baron was jailed for 30 months and issued with Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a period of seven years.

Investigating Officer Iona Rudder, from Bedfordshire Police’s public protection unit, said: “Initially Baron justified to this young child that what he was doing was completely normal behaviour, then as time went on, used threats of the child being sent away to coldly manipulate and coerce the young victim 15 years ago.

“Hopefully this prison sentence and subsequent court order will bring some closure and allow this brave young person to move forward in life.

“We would also like to encourage anyone who has experienced abuse to speak out, no matter how long ago the abuse took place. You will be believed and we will investigate.

“Our force is committed to protect the victims and bring the offenders to justice.”

Parents and carers can visit the Parents Protect website here - which is run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation - for resources to help identify and prevent child sexual abuse.

You can also find more information and resources on the Bedfordshire Police website here