MANSFIELD CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS AFTER PHONE EVIDENCE

A child rapist has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after authorities recovered phone messages that exposed his offending. Lee Whalley, now 62 years old, was arrested in 2017 after his victim reported him to the police several years after the abuse occurred. He denied any sexual contact with the girl, but the jury convicted him based on incriminating messages that were retrieved from his phone. Whalley's address is Hillsway Crescent in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The court proceedings concluded on a Tuesday at Nottingham Crown Court, where he was handed a significant sentence for multiple counts of rape and sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13.

During the investigation, Nottinghamshire Police found backup copies of messages on Whalley's computer, which were sent when the victim was an adult but referenced sexual activity between them, revealing his prior lies to investigators. Additionally, several items of clothing containing DNA matching the victim were recovered from his home. Whalley was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order, which will restrict his activities after his release. Detective Sergeant Lloyd Goucher commented on the case, highlighting the victim's courage in coming forward—despite the reluctance of many victims of childhood sexual assault—and praised her for enabling the police to build a compelling case that exposes Whalley's grooming and sexual abuse over several years, ensuring he will spend a substantial part of his life in prison.