Stephen Ireland
Rape of a child under 13 *
Sentence
24 years imprisonment with a further 6 years on extended licence
Stephen Ireland, 41, from Addlestone, targeted and raped a 12-year-old boy, taking advantage of his vulnerability. He was involved in a series of child sex offences between August 2022 and July 2024, including causing children to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, arranging child sex offences, making and distributing indecent images of children, and possessing prohibited and extreme images. The offences were uncovered during a police investigation that began in April 2024 after the rape report, leading to the discovery of indecent images on a hidden phone.
Pleaded guilty to possessing prohibited images and an extreme pornographic image; found guilty of rape of a child under 13, three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault of a child under 13, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, arranging commission of a child sex offence, six counts of making indecent photographs of children, four counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child, possession of prohibited images of children, possession of an extreme pornographic image, one count of voyeurism, and one count of perverting the course of justice. Described as a sexual predator with a perverted and dangerous interest in children.