A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in Handforth.

Adrian White, of Heatley Way, Handforth, was sentenced to 11 years, plus one year on extended licence, after appearing at Chester Crown Court on Friday 24 January.

The 60-year-old had previously been found guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration, plus sexual assault on at least two other occasions, following a seven-day trial in October 2024.

On 1 June 2023, Cheshire Police were contacted following concerns about a girl, who was five years old at the time. She made disclosures which suggested she had been sexually assaulted. Despite her young age, the girl was able to tell officers the name of the man who had assaulted her.

White was subsequently arrested on 2 June 2023 and following enquiries was charged with the offences.

On top of his custodial sentence, White will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, must sign the Sex Offender Register and comply with the regulations of a restraining order.

Detective Constable Alison Shields said: "I am grateful for the sentence handed to White, who will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars reflecting on the severity of what he has done.

"White committed some horrific crimes against an incredibly young, innocent child, who did not deserve to be put through that ordeal. I would like to commend her for her bravery. Despite being so young, she was able to summon the courage to tell officers what had happened to her in a video interview, and she showed levels of bravery beyond her years.

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"It was thanks to her disclosures that we were able to gather evidence against White and secure charges. Even after he tried to deny the offences, thanks to the evidence against him, the jury found him guilty, and he is now in prison where he cannot subject anyone else to these abhorrent crimes."

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