April 2017 Colchester man jailed for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl A Colchester man who sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl and told her to keep the abuse a secret has been jailed. Philip Rice, 57, of Churchill Way, was handed four years behind bars in Chelmsford Crown Court after pleading guilty to performing oral sex on the child between August 2014 and July 2016. It was also revealed in court that the child had viewed hardcore pornographic material while with Rice. Speaking for the prosecution, Glenda Thompson told the court how Rice had asked the child to keep the offence a secret, but that the child had told someone that Rice had “licked her minnie”. She then said that Rice “broke down” and asked people to call the police on him when he was confronted about his offending. However when police interviewed him, he initially refused to comment, before telling officers that the child had asked him to do it after “accidentally” viewing oral sex on a pornographic film. However in sentencing, Recorder John Gallagher said he did not place any responsibility on the child for one second. “This was a particularly ghastly offence on a child that should have felt safe with you,” he said. “This has happened because of your feelings of perverted lust, and nothing more. “In your account, the child asked you to do it, but I do not accept for one second that they had any role in this whatsoever, in any way, shape or form. “This is a wicked, evil, appalling breach of trust on your part, and in my view, you have only pleaded guilty due to your unwillingness to face a trial and face what you have done. The fact you told the child to keep it a secret is a classic technique. “This child was particularly vulnerable, and therefore I have to hand out an immediate custodial sentence.” Rice was also handed an indefinite restraining order from contacting the child in question or their family.