Child sex predator jailed for 18 years for assaults against young girls in Wednesbury

A child sex groomer from Wednesbury who sexually assaulted three underage girls has been jailed for 18 years after the victims’ courage helped to expose his depraved crimes.

The children – who were all under 14 at the time of the abuse – confided in specialist public protection officers about the sex attacks by pensioner Alan Styles.

The child sex predator allegedly groomed and raped his young victims by plying them with gifts. The girls were all underage with one reportedly as young as eight when the sexual abuse started.

The sexual crimes against the young victims was committed across more than four years until Spring 2018 according to the officers who investigated this shocking crime.

After the first victim bravely came forward and disclosed her abuse to the police, further evidence came to light when officers swooped on the home of the sex criminal and recovered a camera and memory cards with 665 indecent images of children. Police enquiries then established two other girls had also suffered horrifying abuse at the hands of 84-year-old Alan Styles.

He pleaded guilty to 27 offences which included rape, sexual assault, indecent photos and sexual activity with a child.

Styles, from Yew Tree Lane, Wednesbury, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, with a further two years on licence, at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday (13 November).

He is also been placed on the Sex Offender Register for life.

DC Hannah Osborne, from the child abuse investigation team, said: “It is due to the bravery of the victims we were able to ensure Styles has been put behind bars for a long time.

“Their courage, and trust in our officers, helped us build up a strong case and ensure he can’t harm any others.”