Northampton man jailed for life for child sex offences
He'll spend at least 12 years in jail before he's eligible for release
A 33-year-old man from Northampton has been handed a life sentence after he was convicted of nine child sex offences.
A court heard Sean McDade abused the child between May and July last year.
In a statement read out to the court during sentencing on Thursday 30 April, the child said: “He scared me and made me think I would get in trouble if I told anyone.”
But the child did tell someone and McDade, who was already a registered sex offender, was arrested and subsequently charged with six counts of assault by penetration of a girl under 13, three counts of raping a girl under 13, and one count of causing/inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
After pleading guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court in January, McDade returned to the same court where he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years.
Lead investigator - Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks from Northamptonshire Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I would like to commend the child in this case for their bravery, and I hope the conclusion of this case allows them to move forward onto brighter things.
“Although no sentence can ever take away what happened, I hope it brings them comfort that their abuser will now go to prison for a long time, and hopefully they can move on and finally get the life they deserve.
“Sean McDade is now where he belongs and we will continue working hard to put more people like him behind bars.”
Detective Superintendent Jen Castle said: “This was an immensely challenging case involving an extremely manipulative and depraved offender however despite the complexity, DC Brooks approached every stage with professionalism, resilience and compassion.
“As a direct result of her work, the child in this case did not have to give evidence and I am grateful to her for the skill and sensitivity she demonstrated throughout the investigation.”