A rapist who sexually abused a teenage girl two decades ago has been jailed. Kevin Ridler, 44, met his victim at a local community centre when he was in his 20s and she was a child under the age of 16.
Ridler, of Twigworth, denied two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape but was convicted of the offences on February 7 following a trial at Gloucester Crown Court. The court heard now the investigation into Ridler's crimes began in 2021 after the victim reported to police he had sexually abused and raped her several years ago.
It was heard that Ridler had befriended the victim at a local community centre; a place she attended regularly. He was aged in his 20s at the time and she was under 16.
On one occasion after playing pool with the victim, he gave her his phone number and they began to communicate via text messages. They would frequently meet and Ridler would kiss, touch and digitally penetrate the victim. On one occasion he anally raped the girl in an underpass.
The offences were reported to police more than 15 years later and investigated by Gloucestershire Police's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team (RASSO). Ridler was then charged with the offences.
He denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury following a trial. He was jailed at Gloucester Crown Court on March 26 for four and a half years. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and handed a restraining order.
The victim read a statement to the court which said she cried from the depths of her soul when she was told about the guilty verdicts, knowing she had been believed.
Before sentencing Ridler, His Honour Judge Lawrie KC said: "Your past misdeeds are catching up with you. The victim was in her teens. You had knowledge of her at [location] and you took an opportunity, which was to seduce and indulge in sexual contact with her.
"That was part of your immaturity and lack of knowledge of the world, but also you need to appreciate the harm your actions caused – a harm that is enduring. An enduring harm for you too that will mark the rest of your life."
Following the sentencing, the case was referred to the Attorney General's Office under the Unduly Lenient Sentencing scheme but this was not upheld by the Attorney General. In mitigation, Judge Lawrie took into consideration Ridler's immaturity at the time of the offences and the effect of the long trial on his mental health.
In a statement read by the victim in court, she described how the abuse and rape she was subjected to by Ridler has impacted her. She said: "Kevin Ridler ruined my life.
"He took away any opportunity I had to have a normal life, hit normal milestones, enjoy new relationships, work hard as a teenager and excel in adulthood.
"Nothing about what he did to me was normal. He took away the magic of first kisses, first relationships, those first intimate moments. He took away my innocence and forced me into the adult world at such a young age which affected my development in more ways than merely healthy relationships.
"As an adult I have started to come to terms with what has happened to me. I have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and depression for which I have been medicated for. I have gone through countless hours of therapy including cognitive behavioural therapy in an attempt to deal with the trauma that I have been left with as a result of Kevin's actions.
"I will never understand why he felt as though he had the right to sexually abuse a child in that way and feel no remorse, refusing to accept what he had done so that I was put into yet another traumatic experience because of him.
"When I was told of the verdicts I cried from the depths of my soul, to know I was believed, to know that all of the pain was worth it was indescribable.
"I stand here for my younger self, my current self, and all of the people out there who have never had the courage to tell their story. I stand here for my son, to show him that actions have consequences, to show him right from wrong. I want him to grow up knowing what happened to me, to know that it is never ok to treat people in this way."
Detective Constable Victoria Bygrave from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team said: "This case relates to a number of offences that happened almost 20 years ago when the victim was a child. Ridler is a dangerous individual who targeted the victim due to her young age and manipulated her into believing that they were in a relationship when he was an adult aged in his 20s.
"He has protested his innocence throughout the process forcing the victim to relive the traumatic events during the court case. I am thankful to the jury in this case for coming to the right decision in such a relatively short space of time.
"The impact of these offences on the victim have been far reaching and long-lasting. I want to commend her bravery and strength for reporting this offence after such a long time and supporting this investigation throughout the lengthy process.
"She has shown true courage throughout, especially when facing the perpetrator of such impactful offences in court. This conviction shows that it doesn't matter how long ago something happened, the police will investigate any allegations of sexual abuse and support those victims despite the passage of time. We will support you, listen to you and help you in any way we can."
Laura Opie, from the South West Crown Prosecution Service's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: "The victim in this case was groomed and targeted at a young age by Ridler, and the abuse she experienced has had a lasting effect to this day. She has shown immense bravery in coming forward to speak about what happened to her and in supporting this prosecution, proceeding with the case through trial.
"The police and Crown Prosecution Service are committed to securing justice for the victims of sexual assault. We want every victim to have the confidence to come forward to report what has happened to them, no matter how long has passed since an alleged offence took place."
If someone has sexually assaulted you, help is available. Police have specially trained officers who can provide support and investigate these types of offences.
Call 999 in an emergency, report by calling 101 or online here: Rape, sexual assault or another sexual offence | Police.uk
Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre provide support for all survivors of sexual violence, for more information visit: Home | Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre
