DANIEL CAMPBELL FROM WIDNES SENTENCED FOR CHILD RAPE IN LIVERPOOL CROWN COURT

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the local community, Daniel Campbell, a 27-year-old resident of Widnes, was sentenced to a total of six years in prison for heinous crimes involving the sexual assault of young children. The sentencing took place at Liverpool Crown Court, where Judge Neil Flewitt QC described Campbell as a 'dangerous' individual whose actions have caused profound and lasting trauma to his victims.

Campbell's criminal history stretches back over a decade, with his offenses dating from when he was a teenager. His victims, who were yet to begin secondary school at the time of the abuse, have endured severe emotional and psychological scars. One of the victims, a young girl, provided a heartbreaking victim impact statement in which she recounted the devastating effects of her assault. She described feeling as though her body was 'tarred' and expressed feelings of worthlessness, believing that she would never be loved. She revealed that she was so traumatized that she could not go outside for fear of encountering Campbell or someone resembling him, which would trigger panic attacks. The girl also shared that she continues to suffer from flashbacks, which interfere with her daily life.

Her struggles extended into her personal relationships, as she found it difficult to trust boys, fearing they might hurt her as Campbell had. Her academic performance was also negatively impacted due to sleep disturbances, flashbacks, and panic attacks. She admitted to engaging in self-harm as a way to cope with her pain.

Another victim, a girl who was abused by Campbell when she was under 16, recounted how he repeatedly reached under her skirt and touched her genitals. She has since battled anxiety and depression, resorted to excessive drug use, and turned to self-harm. Her mental health deteriorated to the point where she attempted to take her own life at age 16. She also described how her relationships with boys have been affected and how her strained relationship with her mother was partly due to her inability to disclose the abuse, leading her mother to mistakenly believe her behavior was simply 'naughty.'

Campbell’s criminal record includes multiple sexual convictions spanning from 2007 to 2015. He has previously served two prison sentences for similar offenses. During the hearing, Anthony Rose, representing Campbell, stated that the crimes for which his client was being sentenced were among the first he had committed. However, he acknowledged that Campbell had also been abusing a third young girl during this period.

Mr. Rose emphasized that Campbell was young and lacked maturity at the time of the offenses, which he argued should be considered as mitigating factors. He also pointed out that after Campbell’s imprisonment in 2013 for grooming a 15-year-old girl via Facebook, manipulating her into sending explicit images and touching her when they met, Campbell had admitted to having a problem and expressed a desire for help. Despite this, Campbell was jailed again in 2016 for groping a man at a sexual offenders course.

Judge Flewitt expressed deep concern over Campbell’s continued offending and his failure to leave sex crimes behind. The judge highlighted Campbell’s denial of his attraction to young children and his ongoing risk to the public. Campbell, who sat with his head bowed throughout most of the hearing, was sentenced to six years for rape and an additional six months for two counts of sexual assault, with the sentences to run concurrently. The judge noted that had Campbell been over 18 at the time of his crimes, the sentence would have been longer, underscoring the severity of his actions and the impact on his victims.