A MAN has been jailed for 16 years after he sexually assaulted a child in Basingstoke.

Stephen Cooper, 61, of The Drove, Blackfield, assaulted the girl when she was aged between four and six during a two-year period from March 2021 to March 2023.

Following an investigation by officers from Hampshire Constabulary, Cooper was charged with four counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 and sexual assault of a girl under 13 by penetration.

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Stephen Cooper, 61 (Image: Hampshire Constabulary)

He was also charged with engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child under 13 and causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Cooper denied the offences but was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. He was jailed for a total of 16 years at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, July 19.

Detective Constable Fiona Leman-Lawrie, from the Northern Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “It took a tremendous amount of courage for the young victim in this case to tell us what had happened to her.

“I have nothing but the greatest admiration for the bravery both she and her family showed throughout the investigation and court process.

“Without them, we would not have been able to secure this outcome and we would sincerely like to thank them.

“While I know this result won’t rid the victim and her family of the memories of what Cooper did, I truly hope it allows them to move forward, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm any other children.

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“I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.

“If anything of this nature has happened to you, please come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse is asked to contact police by calling 101 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Alternatively, you can email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

To learn more about what support you can receive for sexual abuse, visit hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/rape-sexual-assault-support.