NIGEL ROWDEN FROM CREDITON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In September 2017, a disturbing case emerged involving Nigel Rowden, a man from Crediton, who was convicted of sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl during a bath at his residence. The incident took place at his home, where the young girl was visiting, and it has left the community shaken by the breach of trust and the serious nature of the allegations.

According to court proceedings, Rowden entered the bathroom while the girl was in the bath. He then proceeded to pick her up from the water and engaged in inappropriate sexual contact. The case drew significant attention as the court examined the evidence and the circumstances surrounding the assault. Despite the gravity of the allegations, Rowden was acquitted of a separate charge involving the taking of an indecent image of the girl, as the jury found that the mobile phone in question did not contain the alleged photograph, having been unable to locate it in the device's memory.

Rowden, aged 46 and residing on Western Road in Crediton, faced multiple charges. He denied two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and also denied taking an indecent image of the girl. However, after a three-day trial at Exeter Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of the sexual assault charges. The judge, Graham Cottle, sentenced him to three years in prison. Additionally, Rowden was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his future contact with children.

During the sentencing, Judge Cottle emphasized the breach of trust involved in the case, stating, "You have been convicted of sexually assaulting a very young girl. This took place at bath time when she was visiting the house where you lived. You took advantage of an opportunity that presented itself to abuse this child twice. This was a breach of trust because you had a duty to act properly towards her and not to behave in the way that you did."

The court heard that police were alerted after the girl confided in her father about the incident. Her father subsequently contacted the NSPCC helpline, which led to the investigation. The girl alleged that Rowden had touched her inappropriately and had lifted a towel to take a photograph of her private parts using his mobile phone.

Rowden chose not to testify in his defense, but during police interviews, he denied the allegations. He claimed he had never bathed the girl, seen her naked, or taken any photographs of her in such a state. He insisted that the accusations were fabricated, but the jury ultimately found him guilty based on the evidence presented during the trial.