Crowland rapist who abused young girls jailed for 17 years

Edward Church, 68, raped one of his victims in a car.

Today, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court found Church guilty of rape.

Church, of Alderlands Close, Crowland, also admitted seven charges of indecent assault on two other young girls.

Those incidents occurred in the early 2000’s when Church was living in a village between Sleaford and Grantham.

Tony Stanford, prosecuting, told the court all of Church’s victim’s were aged under 13 at the time of his offending. They are all now adults.

Mr Stanford said: “Two of those victims were very young when this happened to them.”

The court heard moving victim impact statements from two of Church’s victims.

One of the women described how she still suffered from bad dreams, while the other woman said she still feared being attacked and had trust issues.

The court heard Church was sentenced to three years probation in 1970 for indecently assaulting a seven-year-old girl.

Alison Summers, mitigating, told the court Church had significant learning difficulties.

“He has the mental age of someone between 10-12 years-old,” Miss Summers added.

“The last offence was ten years ago. He is now an elderly man.”

Passing sentence Judge Andrew Easteal told Church he had no hesitation in regarding him as “dangerous.”

Judge Easteal said: “Your treatment of all of your victims was both wicked and depraved.”

Church must also serve an additional three years while on licence after his release from prison.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last for the rest of his life.