RAYMOND CONNER'S SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MANCHESTER HOME
In April 2021, a disturbing case emerged involving Raymond Conner, a 64-year-old man from Manchester, who committed heinous acts of sexual assault against a young girl while working on her family’s house.Despite being a convicted sex offender with a history of similar crimes, Conner was still employed to carry out building work at the residence, which was located in Manchester.
The court was told that Conner had previously been ordered not to be alone with children, following his 2009 conviction for sexually assaulting a girl.
This court order explicitly prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16, yet he violated this restriction by working in the family’s home, where the young girl resided.
Prosecutor Julian Goode detailed to the court that Conner, who had been given his own key to the property, took advantage of the situation to sexually assault the girl on multiple occasions while her parents were away.
The court heard that Conner’s inappropriate actions included touching her breast and thigh, making lewd comments such as calling her a “sexy bum,” and attempting to put her foot in his mouth when she was alone in the house.
The girl recounted that she was in her bedroom when Conner suddenly appeared, sitting on her bed and touching her thigh through her clothing for approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
This made her feel extremely uncomfortable, prompting her to find ways to escape the situation, such as arranging to meet a friend outside the house.
Further details revealed that Conner engaged in play fighting and tickling, but his comments and actions crossed boundaries, including remarks about her cleavage and questions about her wearing a push-up bra.
He also tickled her breast, bottom, and thigh, actions that left her feeling powerless and unable to control what was happening.
The girl expressed her fear of telling her family, worried they would think she was overreacting.
The last incident occurred on her birthday, when Conner wished her a happy birthday and again tickled her.
She was wearing a large hoodie at the time, and the court heard that he tugged at her waistband, further violating her personal space.
The crimes only came to light after the girl confided in a friend at school, revealing that Conner had been calling her names and touching her inappropriately.
The friend reported this to a teacher, which led to the girl’s parents and the police being informed.
In a victim statement, her father expressed profound regret and guilt, stating, “We couldn’t forgive ourselves for bringing a man we trusted into our home.
It is our job to protect our kids but instead we put them in danger.
This will impact our trust of people in the future.” Conner’s previous convictions included multiple sexual assaults on a girl and causing a child to watch sexual acts.
His recent offences constituted a breach of the court order that prohibited him from unsupervised contact with minors.
As a result, he was brought before Minshull Street Crown Court, where he was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to five counts of sexual assault on a child under 16 and breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The judge, Miss Recorder Katherine Pierpoint, emphasized the violation of the girl’s sense of safety in her own home, stating, “It goes without saying that her bedroom was a place where she should have felt safe.
You are 64 years of age and you made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
It didn’t stop, and you subjected her on numerous occasions to sexual assaults.
She felt she had no control and couldn’t tell someone because she feared being dismissed or misunderstood.
That is what makes this so serious.” In addition to his prison sentence, Conner was issued a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim or her family.
He will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence, and he will be subject to another indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The court’s decision underscores the severity of his breaches and the ongoing risk he poses to minors in the community.
