June 2019 Child sex offender jailed for 18 years A child sex offender from Maidstone has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple offences including rape. Mark Stanford was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court to two counts of rape, six counts of indecent assault and a further count of gross indecency with a child. The court heard Stanford repeatedly abused his victim over a three year period, between 1999 and 2002. An investigation was launched by Kent Police after the victim reported the abuse in May 2016. Stanford, aged 55, of St Peter’s Street, Maidstone, was arrested and charged shortly afterwards. He pleaded not guilty at court and the case went to trial. A jury convicted him on all counts and on Thursday 13 June 2019 Stanford was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, with a further four years to be served on an extended licence. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.