A Swindon man has been jailed after subjecting two young girls to years of sexual abuse.
Joseph Smith, 37, used his position of trust to prey on the girls from a young age for more than four years until his arrest in June 2019.
He had been living in Wolverhampton when he began his abuse of the first girl by sexual touching, before raping her. The abuse continued for several years until the girl found the courage to report what was happening to her.
When detectives from our Public Protection Unit began their investigation, it emerged that Smith had also abused a second girl by sexually assaulting her.
Smith denied the charge and forced both survivors to endure a two week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court which ended on 24 November 2021 when the jury found him guilty of nine counts of sexual assault and nine counts of rape.
On Thursday (13 January) Smith was sentenced to 24 years in prison and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Detective Constable Kerry Bromhall said: “Smith subjected the girls to years of physical abuse, not to mention the psychological torment that such abuse often leaves behind.
“I commend these young girls for their bravery, firstly in coming forward to report what happened to them, but also in continually reliving their experience through a lengthy investigation, hampered by Covid, and giving evidence at trial.
“I truly hope this sentence gives them the closure they need and the knowledge that Smith is no longer able to do this to anyone else.”
If you have been subjected to sexual abuse, no matter how long ago, we have specialist officers to help you. We work with a range of agencies who can offer advice and support.
