December 2013
Shelton child rapist jailed for 14 years
CHILD rapist Geoffrey Griffiths has been jailed for 14 years.
The OAP beat his young victim and indecently assaulted her before progressing to raping her.
The abuse included him hitting her with a cane and hose pipe, holding her head under water and burning her with a cigarette.
Griffiths then began to sexually abuse the girl and raped her when she was a teenager.
The 68-year-old, of Ridgeway Road, Shelton, denied all his charges, including six counts of indecent assault and one of rape.
But he was convicted of the indecent assaults and the rape by a jury after a trial last month.
Judge Paul Glenn told Griffiths: “You repeatedly abused her for your own sexual gratification.”
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the offences had a serious psychological effect on the victim. The court heard she has nightmares about her ordeals as well as suffering with depression. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reported the matters to police in May 2012.
Joanne Wallbanks, mitigating, said although Griffiths has previous convictions, none were for sexual offences.
Ms Wallbanks added: “He wants the court to know that he saw the errors of his ways and he mended his ways.”
As well as the 14-year jail term, Griffiths was told he will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely. He is also barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.
Judge Glenn said: “You committed a series of offences.
“You meted out violence, you caned her, punched and kicked her and burnt her with a cigarette. You caused others to hold her head under water, you tied her up.
“You moved on to sexual abuse, kissing her inappropriately and touching her.
“She was too scared to tell anyone.
“You progressed to raping her, despite her best efforts to prevent that.”
Staffordshire Police today welcomed Griffiths’s jail term.
