Rally driving official jailed for 7 years at Lincoln Crown Court for historic sexual offences in Lincolnshire
A rally driving official who committed historic sex offences against a teenage girl has been jailed for seven years at Lincoln Crown Court.
Simon Slade, 65, was locked up by Judge James House KC after he was convicted of two serious sexual offences and one charge of indecent assault.
The prosecution said Slade groomed and manipulated the teenage victim into sexual activity and engineered a number of situations where sexual activity took place.
Slade only stopped his offending when his partner at the time learned what he was doing and asked him to stop.
More than two decades later, the survivor came forward to disclose what had happened, and the way she had been manipulated into sexual activity with Slade.
Slade at first denied any sexual activity, but evidence of his conduct was found at his home, including a folder containing photographs and letters he had taken at the time.
This evidence showed that his behaviour towards the survivor had been abusive and not simply sexual.
Slade, now of Cherry Tree Drive, Yeovil, appeared at Boston Magistrates Court in January last year relating to the offences which occurred in the late 1990s.
Two of the offences occurred in Lincolnshire.
The bench declined jurisdiction and sent the case to Lincoln Crown Court.
Slade was sentenced for four years imprisonment for the count of indecent assault and seven years' imprisonment for each of the other offences. All were to be served concurrently.
Alison O’Shea, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Simon Slade was an abusive predator who deliberately sought out a young teenager to satisfy his perverted desires. The evidence in his possession was a sickening display of conquest and superiority.
"The survivor in this case was absolutely right to come forward and report what had happened and has told a clear compelling story throughout. By contrast, Slade has changed his story and tried to imply that the survivor is somehow to blame. He has persistently failed to take responsibility for his abusive actions, but he has now faced the consequences of what he did over 20 years ago.”