DARRIN LOOBY OF LOUGHBOROUGH TO FACE SIGNIFICANT PRISON SENTENCE FOLLOWING SEXUAL ABUSE CONVICTIONS
A man convicted of multiple sexual offences against a schoolgirl in Loughborough is now facing a lengthy prison term.Darren Looby, 39, was found guilty of 18 charges after a three-week trial at Leicester Crown Court.
Looby, who resides in Chilwell, Nottingham, maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
The court was told that Looby began abusing the girl, who was just 11 years old at the time, in Loughborough.
During the trial, two jurors were dismissed, leaving a jury of ten to deliver their verdicts.
After nine and a half hours of deliberation, the remaining jurors returned 18 guilty verdicts, with a majority of 9 to 1.
Looby was convicted of the following offences: - Six counts of sexual activity with a child - Four counts of rape - Four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 - Two counts of rape of a child under 13 - Two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration The abuse began in 2011 and continued until 2018, when the victim, now in her early twenties, moved away to attend university.
The victim contacted police in November 2018, revealing that the abuse had become normalized and that she was afraid of what Looby might do if she disclosed what had happened.
Following the verdicts, Judge Keith Raynor expressed gratitude to the jury for their "public service" and indicated that Looby would face a "significant prison sentence." The case was adjourned to allow for a pre-sentencing report to evaluate the "issue of dangerousness." Looby was remanded into custody and is scheduled for sentencing on Friday, August 13.
Detective Constable Emma Burrows of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit stated, "Looby felt he had a degree of control over his victim and thought he could get away with his crimes because she wouldn’t tell anyone.
But after moving away for university, the victim was finally able to report what happened, which led to his conviction." She added, "I hope the outcome of the trial can provide some relief and help her move forward with her life."
