A Bootle man sentenced to prison for historic rape and sexual assault of underage girl in Waterloo
Merseyside Police are welcoming the sentencing of a man to three and a half years in prison for the historic rape and sexual assault of a girl in 2003. 33-year-old Esupur Rahman from Stanley Road, Bootle, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday 16th May and was handed a three and a half year prison sentence in addition to Sex Offender Notification requirements. The offence took place in the Waterloo area in 2003, after Rahman had groomed the victim, who was 15 at the time, for several months. Detective Inspector Susan Ennis said: "This was an appalling abuse of trust by a man who was 21 at the time of the offence, and had groomed his underage victim over a long period of time. His victim has shown an immense amount of bravery to speak to police, and has been supported throughout her ordeal. Hopefully the sentence of Rahman helps her healing process in some way. "Time is no barrier to justice for sexual offences, so I want to encourage any victim of sexual offences to come forward to Merseyside Police, where specialist officers will treat you with sensitivity and compassion. "Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a terrible crime which can affect any family, anywhere. We remain determined to play our part in tackling the problem and raising awareness of the signs. 'Listen To My Story' is a campaign and website which is there to raise awareness of CSE among young people, parents, grandparents, guardians, every single one of use, so take a look. "It helps victims find the right kind of support and advice if they have suffered abuse and has lots of information for young people to help if they think they are being exploited, or if they are worries one of their friends may be. "There are signs to look out for which we all need to be aware of, including if they are regularly missing school, appearing with unexplained gifts, having mood swings or becoming secretive about their whereabouts or use of social media." You can call 101 to report any crimes or concerns, and you will be helped by dedicated and specialist officers. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
