March 2011

Child rapist gets seven-year term

A Rushden man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping a child and other sex offences.

Carl Wright, 23, of Knowles Close, was convicted of three charges – raping an 11-year-old and having unlawful sexual intercourse with her when she was 10 years old, and of indecently assaulting another 11-year-old girl.

Northampton Crown Court heard the offences took place between 2002 and 2005, when Wright was aged between 15 and 17 years old.

He admitted sexually touching the younger victim intermittently for four to six weeks but denied further sexual activity with her and denied the indecent assault.

Recorder Adrian Redgrave QC said: “You’ve been convicted, after two girls had to give evidence about it, of indecent assault, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and rape.

“As far as the offence against the indecent assault victim is concerned, I regard that as relatively minor. As far as the offences against the other victim are concerned, I regard them as serious in the extreme.

“She was a child. There’s no question of her giving any form of valid consent. She didn’t resist but I do not accept this case on the basis she was giving informed consent. You were taking advantage of her age and the relationship growing between you.”

Wright was jailed for seven years for the rape and sexual activity offences and was sentenced to six months in prison for the indecent assault, to run concurrently.

Wright was told he would be released on licence after serving half of the sentence.