April 2006 Man sentenced to ten years for rape of teenage girl Rapist Simon Dixon was jailed for ten years yesterday after a sickening attack on a teenage girl. Dixon, 28, ordered the girl to undress and raped her on a bed. At Newcastle Crown Court last month, Dixon was found guilty by the jury in a unanimous decision following a three-day trial in which he denied rape. The court heard that after carrying out the assault, he then switched on a TV for the girl, as if nothing had happened. After telling her mum about the incident, in June last year, the girl, who was then 18, then said she had got it wrong. She later said that the assault had happened. A recording of her interview with the police was played to the jury. In it, the girl said: “He said ‘come in here for a second’. I went in the bedroom, on the bed. “After I layed down on the bed, he said ‘take everything off’.” At this point, the interviewing officer asked the girl what happened next and she described the incident. After the teenager was interviewed by an officer from the child protection unit, Dixon, of Emmerson Terrace, Washington, was arrested, on July 14 last year. Defence barrister Brian Russell told the court yesterday how Dixon still denies the offence and insists it never took place. But Judge Beatrice Bolton told Dixon: “You took advantage of this young girl. “It may well be you committed the offence in drink. “I have no way of knowing, but in my judgement you were quite confident that no one would believe her. “Unfortunately for you, she was both listened to and believed.” The judge said Dixon must register as a sex offender for life.