March 25, 2022 1.00 pm This story is over 24 months old

Rapist who sexually abused schoolgirl for five years is jailed

The crimes came to light when a relative noticed something suspicious

Elton Townend-Jones. | Photo: Cambridgeshire Police

A man who raped and sexually assaulted a schoolgirl over a five-year period has been jailed for 14 years.

Elton Townend-Jones, 51, of Church Road, Walpole St. Peter, Wisbech, began the sexual abuse in Cambridge in 2015 and this continued until 2020.

The offences only came to light when a relative of the girl saw something suspicious and called police, with Townend-Jones then arrested in June 2020.

In police interview he denied the offences and claimed he didn’t know why the girl would accuse him of rape or sexual assault.

In his second interview, he answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

Townend-Jones stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court in February where jurors found him guilty of 11 counts. These were:

  • Three counts of rape
  • Two counts of assaulting a child under the age of 13 on at least 10 occasions
  • One count of assaulting a child under the age of 13 on at least five occasions
  • One count of assault by penetration on at least five occasions
  • Three counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 on at least five occasions
  • One count of sexual activity with a child on at least five occasions

He was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to monitor any future offending and a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim, both indefinitely, and must serve two thirds of his 14-year sentence before being considered for release.

DC Susan Brown, who investigated, said: “Townend-Jones’ horrific sexual abuse of his victim went undetected for years and I am pleased he has finally been brought to justice.

“Regardless of when it happened, we will always take reports of sexual offences, including child sex abuse, incredibly seriously.

“Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice.

“The defendant’s abuse has had a huge impact on his victim and I hope she can now find some closure from this traumatic period of her life.”