Benjamin Goldsworthy

A 41-year-old man from Newton Abbot has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in his home. Benjamin Goldsworthy, of Bugle Place, carried out the assaults while the schoolgirl was visiting and playing a computer game.

The incident came to light in February 2019 when the victim's parents noticed she was upset and she disclosed the abuse to her mother. Goldsworthy touched the girl's breasts and private parts in a manner that closely resembled the online pornography he had accessed just hours earlier. A forensic examination of his phone revealed he had downloaded child sex stories in the days leading up to the offences, which mirrored the nature of the assaults.

During the trial at Exeter Crown Court last month, prosecutor Jason Beal outlined the disturbing similarities between the abuse and the explicit material Goldsworthy viewed. The victim described the assaults in detail, noting how they occurred while she was engaged in a game. Goldsworthy denied all charges, claiming the girl had fabricated the incident and dismissing the downloaded stories as mere coincidence. However, a jury found him guilty of sexual assault of a child and two counts of assault by penetration.

Judge David Evans imposed a seven-year custodial sentence with an additional one-year extended licence period. He declared Goldsworthy an offender of particular concern and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life. The judge also highlighted the severe psychological impact on the victim, stating that the assaults had left her so traumatised that she avoids physical contact, including holding her younger sister’s hand. Goldsworthy will be barred from working with children by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The judge remarked on the evidence, saying Goldsworthy had caused 'untold psychological damage' to the victim and that his online activity indicated a clear interest in the sexual abuse of children. This case, reported by the Teignmouth Post on 16th June 2022, underscores the importance of digital forensics in prosecuting child sex offences.