LEONARD WILSON CRANBROOK SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENDER SENTENCED

Two men have been sentenced to prison following a disturbing sexual assault involving a teenage girl at a play park in Cranbrook. The incident, which took place on the evening of 28 August 2018, involved Leonard Wilson and another individual, Frank Smith, who together subjected the young victim to a violent and aggressive sexual attack.

According to reports, the girl encountered the offenders at a secluded rural area near Jockey Lane. The situation quickly escalated when she was forcibly pulled from a vehicle by Wilson and Smith, with such force that she sustained a bump to her head. The assault that followed was both brutal and invasive, leaving the victim traumatized. The two men, aged 17 and 18 at the time, then proceeded to intimidate her, making threats against her family in an effort to silence her and prevent her from reporting the crime to authorities.

Legal proceedings revealed that Smith, who resided on Pluckley Road in Bethersden, was charged with sexual assault and two counts of rape. Wilson, living on Plurenden Road in High Halstow, faced charges including rape, possession of two indecent images of a child, and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic material. Both men entered pleas of not guilty during their initial court appearance at Maidstone Crown Court. However, after a trial, they were each convicted of one count of rape.

On 9 April 2024, the court handed down sentences to both offenders. Smith, now 24 years old, received a prison term of three years and nine months. Wilson, aged 23, was sentenced to three years and six months behind bars. The sentences reflect the gravity of their crimes and the impact on the victim.

Detective Kim Bashford, a representative of Kent Police’s West Division CID, commented on the case, emphasizing the severity of the offenses. She stated, “Smith and Wilson not only subjected their victim to a harrowing sexual assault but used fear to prevent her from reporting the incident to the police. As a result, the girl was forced to withstand a lengthy investigation and trial, during which she had to repeatedly relive the traumatic events of that night. A custodial sentence for such an abhorrent crime is just, regardless of Smith and Wilson’s ages at the time. We would like to thank the victim for her admirable courage in working with us to secure a jail term for the offenders.”