Locations
Maclagan Street, Stoke-on-trent, City Of Stoke-on-trent, ST4
Description
Child rapist Andrew Sidaway has been handed an extended jail sentence of 25 years. The 59-year-old raped his young victim on numerous occasions.
But she came forward and contacted the police in 2021. Sidaway, of Maclagan Street, Stoke, denied all the allegations but was convicted of five charges of raping a child under 13 after a trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in May. He was cleared of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.
Prosecutor Jamie Scott said there was no evidence that Sidaway had abused other children. But he added the defendant exchanged messages with an undercover police officer which indicated a sexual interest in children.
The court heard Sidaway has previous convictions for downloading and viewing thousands of indecent images of children and breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.
Rashad Mohammed, mitigating, said Sidaway recognises he has 'lost the best of his last years'. He is now in prison which has been a shock for him. Mr Mohammed said: "He maintains his innocence and denies he has done any wrongdoing."
He said Sidaway's mum is aged 79 and he will not be able to provide assistance for her. Mr Mohammed asked Judge Sally Hancox to pass a determinate sentence so Sidaway has a release date to work towards.
But Judge Hancox sentenced Sidaway to a 25 year extended sentence which is made up of 21 years custody and an extended licence period of four years. Judge Hancox said: "The serious sexual offending you perpetrated on your victim has impacted her through childhood and into adulthood. What you did to her will always be part of her.
"You are now entirely alone. Worryingly the pre-sentence report contains continued denials of your sexual wrongdoing.
"I am satisfied you do provide a risk. A determinate sentence would not fully address the risk you possess. I find it necessary to pass an extended sentence to protect the public in the future."
Sidaway must serve two thirds of the custodial term (14 years) with the rest on licence. He was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.