SERIAL CHILD RAPIST STEPHEN RAFFERTY SENTENCED IN LIVERPOOL
A convicted serial child rapist, Stephen Rafferty, subjected three young girls under the age of 14 to heinous acts, including forcing them to pose for semi-naked photographs as part of his campaign of abuse.The 27-year-old, who was found guilty by a jury of 13 sexual offences—including nine counts of rape—had previously admitted to six counts of sexual assault against his victims.
During the sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge David Swinnerton described the progression of Rafferty’s first assault, stating that he initially began "massaging her" before inappropriately touching her and repeatedly raping her.
The judge noted, "She first felt scared and threatened and didn't say anything." The judge also highlighted Rafferty's prior history, mentioning that he had been tried and acquitted of sexual offences as a child, which he explained was a factor in understanding Rafferty’s awareness of the wrongfulness of his actions.
"I mention it because as a result you knew it was very wrong to commit sexual offences," Judge Swinnerton said.
The first victim provided a personal statement, revealing her ongoing struggles: "I live with it every day.
It continued to stay with me long after the abuse stopped.
I feel so violated.
I have taken away my sense of self, my sense of security." She shared that she had suffered from self-harm and an eating disorder since the abuse, and that Rafferty’s actions had caused serious psychological harm, leading to "devastating" effects on her life.
Regarding the other two victims, the court learned that Rafferty employed grooming behaviours, gradually escalating to sexual abuse and rape.
Judge Swinnerton recounted the second victim’s experience: "You started touching her and told her she couldn't tell anyone." Rafferty then sexually abused her multiple times a week, forcing her to perform sex acts and taking inappropriate photographs of her while she wore a top and no bottoms.
The victim expressed her anguish, saying, "Sometimes I asked him to stop at first but he wouldn't and there was no use." The third girl, when interviewed by police, was so distressed she was initially unable to speak and wrote that "Stephen forced me to have sex with him." During the assault, she bit Rafferty’s penis, after which he punched her, calling her "Satan's child" and instructing her "never tell anybody else," claiming it was "natural." She also revealed that Rafferty told her "the world would be better without me" and blamed her for his crimes.
The girl, diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a child, shared, "I struggled to copy and used to self harm." In a personal statement, she disclosed attempts to take her own life and a diagnosis of PTSD, describing her experience as "like my world was crashing around me." She added, "It is so scary to know people have the audacity to try and ruin people's lives for their own joy." The court acknowledged Rafferty’s mental health issues, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD, and possibly Asperger's syndrome, as well as a difficult childhood.
Judge Swinnerton stated, "You have accepted limited responsibility," citing a probation interview where Rafferty said, "In an ideal world I would want to say no but I can't say that" when asked if he posed a risk to children.
His grandparents described him as having "qualities of generosity" and a good work ethic, highlighting that context.
However, Judge Swinnerton emphasized the severity of Rafferty’s crimes, stating, "You have committed extremely serious offences which have had a devastating effect on three young women." Prosecutor Martine Snowdon presented the case for the Crown, while defense lawyer Jenny Tallentire expressed hope for Rafferty’s rehabilitation, noting his "extremely frank admissions to the probation officer" and his challenging upbringing, though she clarified, "it is not an excuse, there are many others who have had a difficult upbringing." Rafferty, of Russell Road, Mossley Hill, admitted to six counts of sexual assault and was convicted following a trial on January 11 of two counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of rape, and two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.
Judge Swinnerton described him as a "dangerous" offender and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, with an extended five-year period on licence, meaning he will serve at least two-thirds of his custodial sentence.
His release will depend on a parole board’s assessment of his risk.
Additionally, Rafferty was placed under a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to register as a sex offender indefinitely.
