MAN JAILED FOR 26 SEXUAL OFFENCES INCLUDING RAPE
A man from Plymouth has been sentenced to prison after admitting to a total of 26 sexual offence charges, including six counts of rape.Simon Watts, aged 58, is set to serve a cumulative term of 16 years and four months for crimes committed against two young girls in the past.
Watts faced charges comprising six counts of rape, 15 counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault, and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.
The offences spanned from 1993 to 2010, involving two victims whose identities remain protected by law.
During the court proceedings, prosecutor Heather Hope detailed how Watts engaged in repeated abuse, causing significant harm to both victims who could not be named for legal reasons.
It was also revealed that Watts secretly recorded and photographed at least one of the victims, keeping the images and footage for many years before being apprehended by law enforcement.
Hope stated that Watts had initiated each incident solely to satisfy his sexual urges and that his actions left the victims feeling physically ill.
Investigators discovered search histories containing terms like "voyeur" and "pre-teen" on Watts's electronic devices.
They also found in his attic a wireless camera, a photo printer, and a noose.
One of the women told police that Watts had repeatedly threatened to kill her and her family if she ever disclosed the abuse, claiming he would conceal the bodies in tunnels beneath Dartmoor.
Following the exposure of some of his abuses, Watts made multiple suicide attempts.
In court, both women read heartfelt victim impact statements, tearfully recounting years of abuse that they had suffered unaware of each other's experiences.
One survivor expressed that Watts had stripped her of her confidence, personality, and independence, and since reporting him, she has experienced panic attacks.
She recounted her fear upon hearing Watts was granted bail and worried that he might harm her or her family.
She also described enduring ongoing suffering during the 14 months leading up to her sentencing, a period marked by delayed court hearings, Watts’s suicide attempts, and legal team changes.
She firmly stated that Watts would never receive her forgiveness and that the trauma would affect her lifelong.
In mitigation, his lawyer Deni Matthews highlighted that Watts had previously received treatment for depression in 1994 and that a psychiatric report suggested he might have Autism Spectrum Disorder.
She also noted that Watts had a history of abuse from his step-father and had experienced bullying while serving in the merchant navy.
Judge David Evans said it was "clear" to him that Watts knew his behaviour was "shameful and wholly wrong".
Along with the total sentence of 16 years and four months he said he would pass a restraining order which banned him from approaching or contacting the two women or from entering a number of named streets in Plymouth.
