Description
A dangerous offender who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl has been handed an extended 21year sentence after our officers irrefutably linked him to the crime through DNA evidence.
Their work led a Crown Court judge to issue a formal commendation to the investigative team for bringing him to justice.
Judge Martyn Levett described how the case required:
“focused attention and hard work from people who work late at night and probably very early in the morning.”
He continued:
“Investigating a case such as this provides many challenges due to the constellation of different pieces of evidence.
“I appreciate that much of the work involves putting together a coherent case which is then presented to the jury. Sometimes that is not easy.
“I probably only see part of what goes on behind the scenes in the preparation of such cases.
“This is only possible with teamwork and backup. It’s often forgotten that these cases cannot function on their own, and the welfare of everyone has to be well looked after before, during and after the course of a trial.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those concerned in this case, and if I may, single out DC Tamsin Lyons, DC Debbie Hewett, DC Owen Clements and DS Gavin Wiseman.
They should be commended for their hard work. A commendation is truly deserved.”
Judge Levett praised the detectives for presenting a coherent case in which “all the arrows pointed to one man”.
That man was 28yearold Dominic Boultwood.
Already a convicted sex offender, Boultwood lured his victim to a wooded area of Bourne Valley Nature Reserve, near Mersea Road, Colchester, on Thursday 9 May 2024.
After engaging her in a sexualised conversation and confirming her young age, he pulled her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.
On several occasions he warned the girl not to report him to police or tell anyone what had happened.
Distressed and crying, she asked to leave. Boultwood told her to remain at the scene for five minutes while he walked away.
She later felt able to leave and returned home, quickly confiding in a friend. We were alerted soon afterwards and launched an immediate investigation, putting specialist support in place for the girl and carrying out urgent enquiries.
Numerous pieces of evidence pointed to Boultwood, but crucially he was linked through DNA discovered on the victim’s clothing.
Arrested
We arrested him on Wednesday 15 May and searched his home, where a quantity of cannabis was seized.
In interview, Boultwood claimed he had been fishing in the nature reserve on the day of the offence. He denied seeing or speaking to any child, acknowledging that doing so would breach court orders.
Boultwood had previously been convicted in 2015 of a separate sexual assault and received a sevenyear sentence, comprising four years in custody and three years on licence. He was subject to notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which allowed monitoring software to be installed on his mobile phone.
During his first interview, Boultwood said that if he had committed the offence as alleged, he would admit it. After being presented with forensic evidence, he provided a prepared statement in a second interview, claiming his DNA could have been on the girl’s clothing because he regularly slept and urinated in the area.
He was charged with sexual assault and assault by penetration and was remanded in custody.
Jailed
Boultwood stood trial at Ipswich Crown Court in March last year, also facing a charge of making indecent images of children following a previous examination of his mobile phone. Officers had found a number of sexualised images of children aged between three and 13.
Due to the overwhelming evidence gathered against him, a jury convicted him of all three offences.
Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday 25 February, he was deemed a dangerous offender requiring an extended sentence to protect the public. This comprised 13 years’ imprisonment and an additional eight years on extended licence.
He will remain subject to indefinite notification requirements and a renewed Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will help deter and detect any future offending. A lifelong restraining order was also imposed to protect the victim.
Judge Levett said Boultwood had:
“manipulated a very young girl to fulfil his sexual desire” and added that places such as nature reserves should be spaces where children feel safe to walk without any sense of danger.
'The sooner you speak out the better'
The mother of the victim, who must remain anonymous, said:
“Officers were amazing. I know these things are scary but the sooner you speak out the quicker police can get the person and hopefully, in time, give closure.
“It may take a while, but patience is important. These things may not affect you instantly, but they will long term.
“Everyone needs to speak out and everyone needs to feel safe so maybe we do need to see more of a presence in quiet, enclosed areas.”
A dangerous sexual predator
Detective Inspector James Holmes, of our Serious Crime Directorate, said:
“Boultwood is a dangerous sexual predator who poses a very real risk to young girls.
“Despite his previous imprisonment for sexual offending and the strict conditions imposed upon him as a registered sex offender, he chose to completely disregard those matters – showing utter contempt for his victim and the law.
“We firmly believe he was fully aware of his despicable actions in preying on a lone 13yearold schoolgirl and knew we were looking for him in the days after the offence.
“He has never shown the slightest remorse.
“Thanks to the evidence we gathered, a jury saw through his lies and convicted him over his horrific actions. He is now back where he belongs – in prison.
“I want to pay tribute to the victim, who has shown patience and bravery throughout this investigation. I hope that, with the support of her family and those around her, she is able to move forward.
“If you are a victim of a sexual offence in Essex, you will be listened to and your voice will be heard.
“We have teams of specialist officers dedicated to investigating sexual offences against children. Even if you do not feel ready to speak to police, you can contact an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor, who will listen and help you access the support you need.”