SUFFOLK CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS FOR TORTURING VICTIM

A child rapist who caused his victim to suffer ongoing psychological trauma has been sentenced to prison. Christopher Whittleton, aged 58, from Highwood Road, Gazeley, Suffolk, was found guilty of multiple charges including two counts of raping a child under the age of 13, raping someone over 13, and additional rape charges, after a trial at Ipswich Crown Court. The court was told that Whittleton inflicted "severe psychological harm" on his victim and repeatedly told her "it was her fault". Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley sentenced him to a total of 21 years behind bars and an additional year on licence. The court heard that Whittleton first assaulted his victim in 2004 in a ditch and exploited her over the subsequent seven years until she was 17. The victim disclosed these assaults in 2016, telling her future wife and a work colleague, before reporting everything to the police in 2018. During the trial, her testimony showed she had been "too scared to resist" and often "froze and let it happen". Her statement described experiencing flashbacks that feel so real she can smell him, feel his touch, and even experience pain again. Judge Talbot-Hadley emphasized the lasting impact of child abuse, stating "the impact of child abuse should never be underestimated. It will often involve a life sentence of trauma." Whittleton was sentenced to a combined term of 21 years for the various charges, with the judge noting that he took advantage of his victim and threatened harm to her loved ones to silence her. The court detailed the psychological damage inflicted, including severe panic attacks, dissociation episodes, and ongoing torment. The judge concluded that Whittleton's actions stole her childhood and caused irreversible suffering, condemning him to a lengthy period of incarceration.