Melton man jailed for 19 years after admitting repeatedly raping young girl

Anthony Reynolds was told by a judge at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday: "Over a protracted period of time, without concern, restraint or inhibition, you sexually abused your victim on a tragically regular basis."

Before jailing Reynolds, the judge, Ian lawrie KC, heard heart-rending statements from the girl and her mother, both describing the emotional devastation the offences had caused - not just to them but also to the girl's younger sister, who had sometimes been present at the start of the defendant’s offences.

The younger girl had been told by Reynolds to leave the room but not before she had seen and heard something of what he was doing to her sister, said prosecutor Ellen McAnaw.

Ms McAnaw told the court the victim, who lived in Gloucester, was about 10 when the offending started and was 13 when she finally broke her silence about her ordeal and told a school friend in January this year.

Police were alerted and she then detailed how Reynolds had been raping her about once a fortnight for three years or more.

His latest rape had occurred just three days before the girl was interviewed by the police.

In a victim impact statement the girl said "I was wondering why this was happening to me and what I had done to deserve it.

"After he did it to me I would just sit there crying and terrified.

"At school, I couldn't concentrate and it was all I could think about.

"Now I have told someone about it I know I will never see him again and I feel safe."

The girl's mother said in a statement "My daughter will without doubt carry this with her for the rest of her life. What this man has done to my daughter has completely broken me."

Reynolds had initially denied the offences and pleaded not guilty to charges of raping a girl aged 13 on January 21, 2023 and two charges of raping of a girl under 13 between December 21, 2019 and December 20, 2022.

But he later changed his pleas to guilty when the girl had attended court ready to give evidence against him to a jury.

Shenaiya Kharegat, defending, said although Reynolds had not admitted the offences from the start he now "accepts full responsibility and has made no attempt to minimise his behaviour."

She said the offending happened against the background of Reynolds losing his mother to brain cancer and his brother to a drugs overdose.

"He fully appreciates the vast impact of these offences on this girl and her mother. He wishes to apologise for what has happened," she said.

Judge Lawrie told Reynolds that the statements he had heard had made clear the 'pain, emotionally and psychologically, that your abuse has caused."

He imposed jail terms totalling as well as a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and restraining order.

After sending Reynolds down to begin his sentence totalling 231 months, the judge asked the girl, her mother and other family members to come forward and he told them they should be proud of how they brought him to justice.