Delwyn Savigar, a 35-year-old man from Preston, Lancashire, was sentenced to 14 years in prison at Preston Crown Court for a series of violent sexual offences against young girls and for operating an online platform facilitating the distribution of child sexual abuse material. His crimes came to light following a DNA match from samples taken during his arrest in September 2008 for possessing more than 300,000 indecent photographs of children on his computer. This arrest linked him to three historic sex attacks on schoolgirls in the Preston area, spanning from 1999 to 2002.
The most serious offence occurred on 30 April 2002, when Savigar raped a 13-year-old girl who was walking to school through fields in Penwortham. According to court details, he forced her down an embankment, sexually assaulted her, then made her climb a fence before raping her on grassland. He instructed her to wait five minutes before proceeding to lessons as he fled the scene. Just 17 days earlier, on 13 April 2002, he approached another 13-year-old girl from behind while she sat alone on a bench in a country lane in Much Hoole. Savigar placed his arm around her neck and mouth in an attempt to rape her, but she escaped when he was spooked by a passing vehicle. Earlier still, in April 1999, he targeted a 16-year-old girl walking to work through playing fields in Walton le Dale, pushing her to the floor, covering her mouth and throat, and indecently assaulting her. She escaped by screaming and claiming her father was nearby.
Both the 13-year-old victims described believing they were going to die during their ordeals, and the long-term trauma has left them deeply distressed, as noted by Judge Edward Slinger during sentencing. The judge remarked, 'These offences are of the kind that every woman fears. Violent sexual assaults following stalking and in isolated areas. These young women have had to live with the horror for many years, remain deeply distressed and what has happened will be with them for many years.' Addressing Savigar directly, he added, 'There is no doubt in my mind that you are a very dangerous man indeed.'
Savigar's arrest stemmed from an international investigation into a members-only internet bulletin board he established as a 'community service' for up to 1,500 paedophiles swapping indecent images. The site, which he administered daily with technical assistance from US-based individuals, featured sections for more explicit content accessible to trusted members. Titles of linked materials included 'Lolita Sex Party', 'Hidden Girls', 'Young Strawberry', and 'Lolita Kingdom'. The images on his seized computer involved girls from the age of eight upwards, classified mostly as Level 1 on the scale of seriousness. Savigar claimed he took an interest in such material five years prior to his arrest and set up the site after a previous one was closed down. He denied any attraction to children, viewing his role as a non-financial service to the community, where members were expected to contribute content.
Savigar pleaded guilty to the rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, and possession and distribution of indecent images at earlier hearings, with pleas to the latter two assaults entered just before the trial in January to spare the victims from testifying. Prosecuting barrister Louise Whaites detailed how US authorities identified him as the site's administrator, leading to his computer's seizure. The operation resulted in around 545 suspected paedophiles arrested worldwide. Defending barrister Philip Curran highlighted Savigar's previous good character, his early guilty pleas, and the absence of similar offences since 2002, suggesting his focus on images might have prevented further attacks. However, pre-sentence and psychiatric reports assessed him as a high-risk offender in denial, recommending lifelong supervision.
Sentencing broke down as six years each for the rape and attempted rape, two years for the indecent assault (all consecutive), and four months concurrent for the images offences. He will be on extended licence for 10 years post-release. The case was reported by The Independent on 18 March 2010, underscoring the role of digital forensics in solving historic crimes.