Dangerous child molester sentenced to 21 years in prison

A married construction worker and father of three from Warrington who repeatedly raped and sexually abused a young girl has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after being convicted of 16 offences.

A judge ruled that Andrew Bate was a dangerous offender and imposed an extended suspended sentence of five years.

Bate, 41, of Libson Close, Cinnamon Brow, Warrington, was found guilty of 16 counts after a trial in which he denied the charges.

In sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver of Kansas said Bate began sexually abusing the girl when she was about 10 years old and his behavior escalated over the course of about four years, with him repeatedly raping her.
He said his behaviour had had a severe psychological impact on his victim. “You pose a high risk of serious harm to children,” Judge Driver added.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the offences came to light last year after the victim contacted Cheshire Police.
In a harrowing statement, the victim described how “crippling paranoia makes it difficult to work and I have a hard time building relationships.”

Prosecutor Karl Scholz said her testimony also showed that the abuse had led her to a self-destructive course and that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
She thinks about it every day and “now only sees the world through a dark lens.”
Bate, who was living with his wife and three young children at the time of his arrest, was found guilty of eight counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and six counts of sexually inducing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Defense attorney Jonathan Rogers said the defendant had no previous convictions and was a full-time construction worker.
Bate, who showed no reaction, must serve two-thirds of the sentence. The judge also imposed a restraining order to prevent sexual conduct and a no-contact order, both of which are in effect for an indefinite period.

After the verdict was announced, Detective Constable Maurizio Lucchesi, who led the investigation, said: “First of all, I would like to commend the victim for the courage he showed throughout the investigation.
“Bate is clearly a sex offender whose only interest is in finding his own sexual gratification. He showed no regard for the victim and refused to plead guilty to any of the charges against him despite being confronted with all the evidence against him.
“Instead, he forced his victim to relive the events in court, which cannot have been easy for the victim.
“Fortunately, thanks to the victim’s courage and the evidence we collected, the jury saw through his lies and he will now be held accountable for his actions.
“I hope that the sentence imposed on Bates will provide some closure to the victim and allow him to move on with his life knowing that he will never be able to do the same thing to other children.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Bate was required to sign the sex offenders’ register and comply with a lifetime sexual assault prevention order.

Detective Constable Lucchesi added: “No one should have to experience what the victim went through and if anything can come from this case then I hope it will encourage other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report the incidents to us.”
“Cheshire Constabulary takes all allegations of sexual assault extremely seriously and will investigate each allegation thoroughly, with the wishes and needs of the victim being our top priority.
“Victims should never be ashamed to talk about what has happened to them. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers as well as other support organisations we work with and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”
To report a sexual offence, call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/%20 .
In an emergency always call 999. Information can also be given anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.