Child sex offender jailed for more than 20 years

A man who raped and sexually abused children has been jailed for 23 years after we launched an investigation into him.

Sydney Showell, 71, of Burton-on-Trent, abused the survivors a number of years ago before they bravely came forward and told us what happened.

Once he was reported to us, he was questioned in custody and denied all of the allegations.

We worked hard to gather evidence and support the survivors as much as possible, eventually securing charges against Showell in March last year and sending him to court.

Following a trial at Stafford Crown Court, Showell was jailed for 23 years and five-months on Tuesday 7 May. He was found guilty of:

• Two counts of rape of a boy
• Four counts of sexual assault of a child
• Five counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• One count of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity
• One count of engaging in sexual activity with a child
• One count of attempt to engage in sexual activity with a child

He was also put on the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

Detective Constable Gemma Szalapski, who worked on the case and is based in our Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) unit, said: “This result would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the tremendous courage and bravery of the survivors in coming forward and telling us what Showell had done.

“We want to send a clear message to survivors that you will be listened to and supported, no matter how long ago the offences may have been.

“Our specialist teams can support you, gather the evidence and bring those responsible for these acts to justice.”

If you’ve been affected by child sexual abuse and would like to speak to us, please call 101 or message us using Live Chat on our website.

You can also report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Tell them what you know, not who you are.