Limousine rapist used Hummer to attack victims

A “manipulative sex offender” used his limousine business to prey on and sexually abuse young girls in Rotherham, a court heard.

David Saynor, 76, invited his victims to do “promotional work” for his brand, then plied them with drugs and alcohol and raped or assaulted them.

On Tuesday, Saynor, who now works at Mayall Court in Waddington, Lincolnshire, was found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of a series of child sexual abuse counts dating back to 2005.

His verdict will be announced in the same court on August 15.

At his trial, the jury was told that Saynor’s victims were between the ages of 12 and 17 at the time of the crime, which occurred between 2005 and 2017.

Saynor often picked up his victims from schools or care homes in his extended Hummer limousine, or took them to teenage discos in Rotherham or back home.

The girls were given money for cigarettes, food and occasionally drugs and were “actively encouraged” to call him if they needed a ride or wanted to bring their friends.

In one case, Saynor told a child he raped that he knew where her family lived and threatened to harm her family if she told anyone about the abuse.

Saynor was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020 as part of Operation Stovewood.

After a five-week trial, he was found guilty of four counts of rape, two counts of paying for sexual services from a child and five counts of meeting a child after sexual intercourse.

Saynor was also found guilty of three counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual conduct with a child and two counts of sexual conduct in the presence of a child.

A jury found him not guilty on two other counts of rape. They also found him not guilty on one count of inducing a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

“Manipulative predator”

NCA lead investigator Stuart Cobb said Saynor used his company as a “front” to gain the trust of his victims.

“He was a manipulative offender who specifically sought out people who were vulnerable or came from difficult backgrounds and gave them money or alcohol to gain their trust,” Cobb added.

“It took great courage for the victims of this case to come forward and tell their stories, and I respect them for that.”

With the conviction of David Saynor, 34 people have now been convicted of criminal offences in the NCA’s Operation Stovewood investigation into child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) And InstagramSend your story ideas to [email protected].

More about this story

Related Internet Links