ALEXANDER ROLLAND SENTENCED IN MANSFIELD FOR PERVERTED CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

In a case that has shocked the Mansfield community, Alexander Rolland, a 76-year-old man from Westfield Lane, was formally sentenced to eight years in prison at Nottingham Crown Court for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed against young girls in the Mansfield area.

The court heard that Rolland’s crimes spanned several years and involved multiple victims, all under the age of 13. Judge Michael Stokes QC delivered the sentence on Monday, February 9, emphasizing the severity of Rolland’s actions and the lasting impact on his victims. The judge stated that Rolland would serve half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence. Additionally, he will be required to register as a sex offender for life and will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which explicitly prohibits any unsupervised contact with children.

Judge Stokes described Rolland’s conduct as “evil,” highlighting the gravity of his offenses. He pointed out that the defendant’s crimes included a disturbing pattern of sexual abuse, with the most serious being the repeated assault of a 12-year-old girl. The judge noted that this girl was one of four children targeted by Rolland in what he called “illegal and disgusting” acts.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard presented a victim impact statement during the hearing, revealing the emotional toll inflicted on the victims. She explained that the 12-year-old girl was frightened and felt threatened when Rolland touched her, perceiving him as potentially dangerous. Another young girl, aged just eight at the time of her interview with police, recounted how Rolland had touched her, which left her feeling angry and scared. She expressed relief that Rolland had admitted to the touching but also a desire for him to be imprisoned.

Further victims included a girl who was approximately ten years old when Rolland sexually touched her and exposed himself, and another girl who was only seven when she was touched by him. These accounts underscore the disturbing pattern of abuse that Rolland carried out over the years.

In court, Rolland pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including sexual activity with a child, six counts of sexual assault, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and observing a person engaging in a private act. The court also noted that Rolland had a prior conviction from 1988 for indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

During mitigation, Laura Pitman, representing Rolland, requested that the court give credit for the guilty pleas and acknowledged that her client recognized he had issues to address. She mentioned that Rolland had expressed willingness to participate in courses while in prison to address his behavior.

Overall, the case has left a lasting scar on the community of Mansfield, with authorities emphasizing the importance of protecting children from such predatory behavior and ensuring that offenders like Rolland are held accountable for their actions.