June 2019

Paedophile told police officers that raping his young victim provided him with a “release of tension”.

A court has chillingly heard how a paedophile told police officers that raping his young victim provided him with a “release of tension”.

Joseph Hilton, 30, groomed the girl aged under 12 before abusing her over the course of a year.

Hilton, of Halgavor Lane in Bodmin , appeared at Truro Crown Court to be sentenced today after pleading guilty to two counts of oral rape, two sexual activity with a child charges and two inciting a child to engage in sexual activity counts.

Prosecuting barrister Philip Lee told the court how when the victim became quiet her mum asked her what was wrong, the girl replying that the defendant had “put his thing in her mouth”.

The allegations were reported to the police and when found on Bodmin Moor Hilton made full admissions.

During her police interview, the victim described being touched in places she didn’t want to be touched and that she “didn’t like it”.

Mr Lee added how the victim found it incredibly difficult to talk about what happened.

During his police interview, Hilton admitted grooming the victim and carrying out the abuse as a form of release.

Mr Lee proceeded to give sickening details of the crimes to the court, judge Recorder Andrew Oldland QC hearing how Hilton masturbated onto the victim and touched her vagina as well as raping her orally.

Hilton also told officers how he abused the girl on numerous occasions and ejaculating onto her stomach which he said provided him with a “release of tension”.

Recorder Oldland said: “The abuse was repeated and involved two instances of oral rape.

“When interviewed you (Hilton) admitted a series of sexual offences. You said you’d been touching your victim, grooming her and saw her as an object.

“What started as touching escalated to masturbation to the point of ejaculation.”

Recorder Oldland added that Hilton has no previous convictions and his admissions provided a degree of insight into his offending.

Hilton was jailed for 10 years but will not automatically be released at the halfway point, any release will be subject to the approval of The Parole Board.

May 2019

Child rapist to be sentenced next month

A former horse owner who created a bogus story about his mare being stolen has been unmasked as a child rapist.

In January Joseph Hilton, from Halgavor Lane in Bodmin, claimed to a newspaper that his shire mare Ellie was taken from his yard behind Bodmin College while he was out visiting a friend.

Hilton, 30, fabricated a story saying that the ‘thieves’ must have planned the break-in meticulously, adding that he was “in shock” and that the horse’s tack was also stolen.

Shortly after that it became clear that eight-year-old Ellie had been located and police confirmed that no crime was committed and the incident was a civil matter relating to the ownership.

Fast-forward five months and a sorry looking Hilton appeared in the dock at Truro Crown Court charged with six counts of sexual abuse against a child under the age of 13.

Smartly dressed Hilton pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape of the victim, two inciting a child to engage in sexual touching charges and two of sexual activity with a child. One of the inciting a child to engage in sexual touching charges and one sexual activity with a child count cover at least five separate instances of the abuse.

Discussing the possibility of bail, prosecuting barrister Philip Lee said there were concerns Hilton may try to abscond and that he was found by police when the allegations were made alone at a remote spot on Bodmin Moor.

Sitting as judge, recorder Malcolm Gibney ruled that Hilton is to be remanded in custody until his sentencing to allow for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.

He will be sentenced next month.