A Highworth man has been sentenced at Swindon Crown Court to 10 years imprisonment after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a young girl.
Darren Harbour, aged 46, from Islay Crescent, pleaded guilty at Swindon Crown Court on 11 April 2017.
In 2005, Harbour raped a young girl at a house in Swindon on three separate occasions when she was aged around nine to 11-years-old.
Soon after this, he left Swindon to live in Padstow in Cornwall for a couple of years before returning to the Swindon area.
Detective Constable Helen Bott said: “The victim in this case only felt strong enough to report the abuse she had suffered throughout her childhood in 2016.
“I commend her for the bravery she has shown in not only coming forward and contacting police. Without this we may not have reached this successful conviction.
“I am satisfied with the sentence handed out to Harbour – although nothing will erase the awful memories and the long lasting affects his abuse has no doubt had on his victim, I hope it gives her some form of closure and enables her to move on with her life knowing justice has been done.
“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who may have been a victim of sex abuse, regardless of how much time has passed, to report it to police.
“We will investigate, provide you with the full support you need, and do all that we can to bring to justice offenders like Harbour.”
Call police on 101. Victims can also seek support and counselling from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) based at the New Swindon Sanctuary – they can be contacted on the 24-hour helpline 0808 168 0024.
