Dale Pendleton Briers, a 32-year-old man from Manchester, has been imprisoned for 12 years following a prolonged campaign of sexual abuse against a young girl that spanned from when she was 10 years old until she was 17. The abuse, which left the victim deeply traumatised and requiring extensive counselling, involved grooming tactics where Briers manipulated the girl into believing his actions were acceptable, initially framing them as innocent games.
The systematic abuse began when the victim was just 10, with Briers, who was several years older and held a position of trust, escalating the severity over time. Despite the victim's repeated pleas for him to stop and her growing distress, Briers dismissed her concerns, insisting the acts were mere experimentation and nothing wrong. The abuse paused briefly for a year but resumed when she was 13, plunging her into despair as she realised it would continue indefinitely unless she sought help.
At 17, the victim's deteriorating mental health prompted her family to arrange counselling, which equipped her with the resilience to confront Briers directly the next time he attempted to abuse her. He ceased his actions thereafter, but the psychological damage was profound. It was not until she reached university that she confided in a friend, leading to further counselling, and eventually, she informed her family. Several years passed before she mustered the courage to report the crimes to the police.
Upon initial interview, Briers denied the allegations, claiming the victim had fabricated them to ruin him. However, a police examination of his mobile phone uncovered numerous searches related to extreme pornography and the sexual abuse of children, contradicting his denials. In a subsequent interview on 22 April 2022, he provided no comment to questions. On 27 September 2023, he was formally charged with 28 offences of sexual abuse of a child and possession of indecent images. At Chester Crown Court on 30 November 2023, Briers pleaded guilty to 19 of these charges.
Sentencing occurred on 25 January 2024 at Chester Crown Court, where Judge [name not specified in source] imposed a 12-year custodial sentence. Senior Crown Prosecutor Lydia Durkin, from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, commented: 'Dale Pendleton Briers used his victim almost as some sort of experimental toy for him to do whatever he wanted with. What he systematically failed to acknowledge was that his victim was a human being who did not want any of this to happen.' Durkin further praised the victim's courage: 'She has had many years of counselling that has helped her see this as the dreadful destruction of her youth. She gained the skills to end what was happening to her and finally told the police and he has been brought to justice for his crimes.'
The Crown Prosecution Service expressed gratitude for the victim's persistence in supporting the prosecution, noting her efforts to rebuild her life. This case underscores the long-term impacts of child sexual exploitation and the importance of victim support in achieving justice. Source: Crown Prosecution Service press release, 25 January 2024.