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Victim of rapist Pele Clinch talks about her ordeal

Maidstone Crown Court
Maidstone Crown Court

by Julia Roberts

A teenager who feared she was pregnant after she was raped has described how her attacker has left her "messed up and helpless".

The girl's victim impact statement was read out at the sentencing hearing of Pele Clinch at Maidstone Crown Court today.

Clinch, 33, of Greenhill, Staplehurst, was convicted by a jury in September of two charges of rape, six offences of making indecent photographs of children and one of possessing a three-hour long movie depicting two teenage girls being sexually abused.

He had denied all the charges, as well as other allegations of abuse.

But jailing him for 11 years, Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said the jury had not been "fooled" and had convicted Clinch on "compelling" evidence.

"the extent of the trauma inflicted upon your victim is all too apparent..." – judge david griffith-jones qc

"The traumatic effect of those two assaults must have been quite appalling," added the judge. "The extent of the trauma inflicted upon your victim is all too apparent from the heart-rending but wholly understandable statement which has been read out."

Clinch, who maintains his innocence, was arrested after the girl confided in friends that she had been raped because she was worried he had made her pregnant.

Clinch was arrested in March last year at his then home in Greggs Wood Road, Tunbridge Wells.

Police found the indecent images and movie clip on a computer and an MP3 player.

Clinch claimed neither the images nor the film had been downloaded by him.

He told police he had swapped his computer for a new one two weeks before his arrest and had recently bought the MP3 player at a boot fair but had never used it as it had no charger.

Clinch was found not guilty of six offences of sexual activity with a child and one of indecent assault. A third rape charge was left on file.

He will serve half his sentence, less 101 days already spent on remand.

Upon his release he will have to sign on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and be subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

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