July 2014
Dinnington rapist who abused schoolgirls jailed for 15 years
A man who raped a vulnerable schoolgirl and abused three other young teenagers has been jailed for 15 years.
Lee Crutchley was found guilty of two counts of rape and two charges of assault by penetration on one vulnerable girl, as well as seven charges of indecent assault and one of buggery by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday.
Jailing him Recorder Brian Cox QC said Crutchley had shown ‘no remorse whatsoever’ towards his victims, who were all aged under 16 at the time of his abuse.
“Your offences reveal you are attracted to and are a danger to girls of age 13, 14, 15,” he said.
Mr Cox said one of the victims, who had a relationship with Crutchley when she was 14 and he was in his mid-20s, said his abuse had ‘ruined her life’.
He said Crutchley’s most serious offences were against his most recent victim in 2012, who he raped and abused when she was aged 12 or 13.
Mr Cox said: “You had by that time a history of abusing young girls. She was vulnerable and you believed you were safe to abuse her because she had those particular problems.”
Crutchley had been charged with 16 offences in total that were said to have occurred between November 1990 and June 2012.
He was cleared of two counts of sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13 and a further two charges of indecent assault.
Prior to his trial, Crutchley, of Victoria Street, Dinnington, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing thousands of pounds worth of cannabis at his home.
Crutchley was also accused of sexually assaulting one girl’s mother 22 years previously but was acquitted of those charges.
Following the verdict, DC Dave Wilson, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “For more than 20 years, Lee Crutchley has preyed on schoolgirls taking advantage of their young age and their innocence. He is now in prison and that is where he rightly belongs.”
