A woman from St Helens has been sentenced to life imprisonment for organising and committing depraved sex offences against a young child. Vicky Bevan, aged 37, was convicted of multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, and the production and distribution of indecent images involving children under 13.
The case came to light following a police investigation into a convicted paedophile, where a phone seized in that probe revealed indecent images and videos of children sent from a mobile number linked to Bevan. Further analysis of messages and images indicated that Bevan was actively involved in sexually abusing children with two other men, Tony Hutton and Paul Rafferty. Merseyside Police subsequently raided Bevan's home on Napier Street in St Helens, uncovering numerous devices including laptops and a mobile phone containing several indecent images of children that had been shared with her co-defendants.
Bevan was arrested on 25 October 2021 and initially charged with 11 offences the following day. Additional charges were brought during court proceedings, resulting in a total of 34 offences. She pleaded guilty in January 2022 to charges including rape, five counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child, and two counts of possessing extreme pornography.
At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Andrew Menary QC imposed a life sentence on Bevan, stipulating that she must serve a minimum of 10 years before being eligible for parole. The judge described her actions as "shockingly depraved" and highlighted how her fantasies were systematically carried out on the victim with the assistance of Hutton and Rafferty. The offences involved the repeated sexual abuse of a girl under the age of 10, causing profound psychological and physical harm.
Co-defendant Paul Rafferty, 62, of Fry Street, St Helens, received 10 years' imprisonment with an extended four-year licence period for his role in the rape of a child under 13, assault by penetration, sexual assault, and multiple counts of making indecent photographs. Tony Hutton, 42, of Liverpool Street, St Helens, was sentenced to four years for sexual assault of a child under 13 and taking indecent photographs. The victim, a young girl, remains protected by anonymity due to the nature of the offences.
This case underscores the diligent work of Merseyside Police and St Helens Social Services in investigating child sexual exploitation and bringing perpetrators to justice, ensuring they no longer pose a risk to children.