STEPHEN ALFORD FROM CHAGFORD, CREDITON, AND EXETER SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS FOR PREDATORY SEX OFFENCES

In a significant development at Exeter Crown Court, Stephen Allford, aged 53, was handed a lengthy prison sentence of 24 years after being convicted of multiple serious sexual offences. The case, which spanned several decades, revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior targeting young girls in various locations including Exeter, Crediton, Chagford, and Helston.

Allford, who was employed as a guest house manager and caretaker at the former County Ground site of the Exeter Chiefs, had used his position to repeatedly exploit vulnerable young girls. His criminal activities extended over many years, with victims coming forward to testify against him during the trial that concluded on a recent Wednesday. The jury found him guilty of a total of 15 sexual offences, highlighting the extent of his misconduct.

Specifically, Allford was convicted of four counts of indecent assault against an Exeter girl and two similar offences involving another girl from the city, with these incidents occurring in the 1980s while he resided in the St Thomas area. His criminal behavior did not cease there; while living in Crediton and Chagford, he targeted another young girl, for whom he was found guilty of two rapes and five indecent assaults. Additionally, he was convicted of two indecent assaults involving girls who had been together at a rugby match of the Exeter Chiefs in St Thomas during the 1990s.

Detective Constable Ian Stairs, who played a key role in the investigation, expressed his relief that Allford was now off the streets for a significant period. He emphasized the bravery of the victims, stating, “I am pleased to know that Allford is off the streets for a long time, but my real thoughts are with the victims and my hope that this can be the first stage for the process that will allow them to move on.”

DC Stairs praised the victims for their resilience, describing them as “tremendously brave and courageous” for facing their ordeal once again during the trial. He noted the emotional relief they exhibited after the verdict and sentencing, acknowledging the difficulty of reliving such traumatic experiences. The detective also remarked on the unassuming appearance of Allford, describing him as a “quiet, subdued kind of man who seemed quite normal,” which made his true nature difficult to detect for many years.

He added, “He is not what you might think of as a paedophile and he went undetected for too many years, but it is not always obvious due to the life they lead. He was a pretty nondescript kind of man, nothing out of the ordinary but now he has been recognized for what he is.”

Although Allford had no prior convictions related to sexual offences, he did have a history of dishonesty. During sentencing, Judge Wassall imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and mandated that Allford’s details be entered onto the Sexual Offender Register for life. The judge sentenced him to a total of 15 years for the offences involving the rape victim, five years for the four indecent assaults of the Exeter girl, and three years for two similar charges involving another young girl in Exeter during the 1980s. These sentences are to run consecutively, amounting to 23 years.

Furthermore, the judge added one year for each of the indecent assaults at the Chiefs rugby match, to run concurrently with each other but consecutively to the other sentences, resulting in a total prison term of 24 years. Allford, who currently resides on Clodgley Lane in Helston, Cornwall, will be eligible for release on licence after serving half of his sentence.