Fugitive paedophile found guilty of sexually abusing a child for ten years

A 49-year-old man who sexually abused a child over a ten-year period and then went on the run, sparking an island-wide manhunt, has been found guilty of all charges against him.

Throughout the six-day jury trial, Richard Louis Romeril denied the girl’s allegations against him and insisted that she was lying.

But the jury at the Royal Court believed her testimony and, after a day of deliberation, found him guilty of ten charges, including attempted rape, sexual contact without consent, compelling a person to engage in sexual activity and indecent touching.

While there was no conclusive physical evidence, a child sexual abuse expert pointed out during the trial that crimes rarely leave lasting physical marks.

The jury heard that Romeril had viewed indecent images of children on the Internet – but he denied having any sexual interest in the girl.

During the police investigation, several of Romeril’s electronic devices were seized and examined and it was discovered that they contained a large number of indecent images of children.

Romeril pleaded guilty to four counts related to the offensive images in December 2023 and will be sentenced later that year.

The jury also heard that eleven pairs of girls’ panties were found under his mattress. Romeril claimed he did not know where they came from.

During her testimony in court, the girl explained that the abuse, which continued throughout her childhood, “escalated as she grew older.”

Romeril failed to appear for police questioning last year and a major search and rescue operation had to be launched to find him.

The Jersey Fire Service, police, search dogs, drones and a French Navy helicopter were mobilised. Leaflets were distributed with a description of the perpetrator and a CCTV photograph.

Cameras caught him buying camping equipment from black people on King Street and he was seen again on CCTV at B&Q that same morning. His car, a black Kia Sportage, was later found in Noirmont Point.

Romeril was finally discovered by a police officer on patrol on Route des Hêtres in Saint-Pierre shortly before 2 a.m. on September 14.

After the trial, Detective Constable Sian Dupre spoke of a “shocking case of serious sexual abuse”.

She said: “The victim in this case showed incredible courage in coming forward to police. Romeril’s constant denial in the face of overwhelming evidence has only caused additional stress for the victim. Therefore, her resilience and strength deserves recognition.”

She added: “While this was a historic event, the evidence was compelling. We are committed to investigating and prosecuting all sex offenders, regardless of how long ago the offences occurred.”

The States Police said they continue to work with key partners and advocacy groups such as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre at Dewberry House, Jersey Action Against Rape and Freeda (formerly Jersey Women’s Refuge) to encourage victims of sexual crimes to come forward.