Oxford man sentenced for decades-long rape and sexual assault offences
Multiple victims were targeted while asleep in attacks carried out between 2000 and 2022
Last updated 29th Apr 2026
A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of a series of rape and sexual assault offences committed over more than 20 years.
Shaun Smith, from Barton in Oxfordshire, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court today (29 April). He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject to restraining orders.
Smith was first arrested in March 2017 and later again in December 2022. Following a lengthy police investigation, he was charged on October 18, 2024.
He denied the charges, which included rape, sexual assault, and two counts of assault by penetration, but was found guilty on all counts after a two-week trial.
The court heard that Smith raped a teenage girl in Oxford in 2000, sexually assaulted a woman in her twenties in Hastings in 2012, and carried out further assaults on two women in their thirties in Oxford in 2017 and 2022. On each occasion the women were asleep and not able to consent to what was happening.
Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Chris Bennett, of Oxfordshire’s Criminal Investigation Department, said:
“I would like to commend the incredible bravery of the women involved in this case. Without their determination, courage and support we may never have known about Smith’s offending and it would have been much harder to bring him to justice. This result today is a testament to them and while it can never undo what has happened, I hope it helps them gain some kind of closure and allow them to move forward with their lives.
“Smith has proven himself to be a serial sex offender who preys on women while they are asleep and at their most vulnerable, unable to consent. Cases like this are the reason I became an officer and being able to bring dangerous predators like Smith to justice makes me proud to be a detective. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone here at Thames Valley Police who worked incredibly hard to help put Smith behind bars where he cannot harm anyone else.
“I hope that this case shows how seriously we take all reports of rape and sexual offences, no matter when they occurred. My plea today to anyone who has been affected by rape or any sexual offence is to please tell us. You can contact us via our website or call 101 where you can speak to specialist officers in confidence. There are also a range of other services available that can offer you support.”