Gazeley man Christopher Whittleton guilty of raping a girl

Christopher Whittleton of Highwood Road, Gazeley, West Suffolk, appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday.

He denied two offences of sexual intercourse with a child and two alternative charges of rape of a child dating back more than two decades.

Whittleton also denied two other rape allegations.

He was found not guilty on the two counts of sexual intercourse with a child, but guilty on the two alternative counts of rape.

He was also found guilty of the other two rape charges.

Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley adjourned sentencing until 12 September.

Whittleton, who was arrested and questioned by police over the allegations in 2018, denied being a paedophile in his testimony during the trial and said there was no truth to the allegations, which he described as “repulsive”.

He said he could not think of any reason why the victim would tell lies about him, saying she had accepted rides from him and had been alone in the car with him since the crimes.