JEMIAH ROSE OF BLACKPOOL JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN BLACKPOOL
In June 2021, a courageous woman from Thornton publicly shared her experience of childhood sexual abuse as the man responsible, Jemiah Rose, was sentenced.Leanne, who chose to waive her right to anonymity, spoke out in support of other victims after years of silence.
She revealed that she was sexually abused by her former stepfather, Jemiah Rose, from the ages of 12 to 15.
Leanne explained that her early cries for help were initially dismissed as typical teenage rebellion, leading her to hide the abuse for many years until she finally reported it to police in 2018.
More than twenty years after the abuse began, she took the stand at Burnley Combined Court, describing Rose as "an opportunistic monster".
She stated, "For years I questioned why me.
Then I thought—why not?
I was off the rails.
Who would believe me?
He saw a child who had already been through enough and took everything from her.
He took every single bit of me without a second thought.
He took everything, and he didn’t care about anyone else." Leanne, who was introduced to Rose through her mother’s new relationship after leaving care at age 12, said he quickly established dominance in the household.
"He was her mother’s boyfriend, and he made sure I obeyed him or faced the consequences," she recalled.
She described how the abuse started almost immediately, with Rose putting her to bed next to him and her mother, claiming it was to prevent her from running away, but later revealing the horrifying truth.
During her testimony, Leanne recounted that she would self-harm or try to escape at night when the abuse happened, and at times, she was forced to wear specific clothing to control her.
She accused Rose of molesting her during a family argument when she was 13, but was misunderstood as a troubled child who was jealous of her mother’s relationship.
"Because nobody believed me I kept quiet," Leanne said.
"I felt my family was being taken from me by someone abusing me.
Despite being out of care, I was alone.
As everything happened, I was seen as a bad child, especially since my mother was unwell at the time.
Rose took advantage of that.
I was stealing, smoking, and going through a rough patch, and he made me look like scum while portraying himself as the protector of my mother." Her suffering led to depression and a suicide attempt, resulting in her being placed back into care temporarily.
The abuse ended only when she became pregnant at 15 and moved out.
"I was lashing out to get away from him.
When I got pregnant, I saw it as my only way out," she said.
Years later, at age 18, she tried to disclose the abuse to her mother again, but was met with disbelief—her mother dismissing her as lying.
Soon after, police visited her, informing her that Rose had accused her of slander.
It wasn’t until 12 more years later, encouraged by her uncle, that she finally reported Rose.
Leanne described reaching out to Rose through messages, which led to a reply from him saying, "I’m sorry,” and then telling her, "do whatever you have to do to ruin my life." She recalled feeling disgusted.
Jemiah Rose, 56, of Brisbane Place, Blackpool, pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted by a jury of two counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecent assault of a child at Burnley Crown Court.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison the following day at Preston Crown Court and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Leanne said, "I left my soul in that courtroom that day, but I did stand up and face him.
That was scary, but I’m so proud that I did.
It wasn’t easy, and it crushed me, but I’ve never felt stronger or more accomplished." Although victims of sexual offenses have lifelong anonymity rights, Leanne chose to waive hers publicly to inspire others to come forward.
She now works with a charity supporting abused women, offering emergency shelter, housing assistance, and legal support.
She expressed her hope that sharing her story would encourage at least one other woman to seek help, saying, "All it takes is for one person to reach out.
I was very scared to report what happened, but I believed in myself.
The police officers and my uncle believed me, and that gave me strength.
Anyone can be a victim, regardless of status or background, and all deserve equal treatment." Jemiah Rose’s convictions included two counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecent assault of a child.
He received an eight-year prison sentence and will be added to the sex offenders register for life.
