Ann Clare

Ann Clare, 43, from Saw Mill Close, Walsall, joined 20 others convicted in West Midlands Police's landmark child sex abuse investigation. The offences targeted seven children aged 12 or younger in Walsall and Wolverhampton across nearly a decade, uncovered after a victim's hospital attendance.

Clare was jailed for eight years, with three years on extended licence and a 30-year sexual harm prevention order. As one of 13 receiving prison terms, the case featured profoundly disturbing abuse, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Drover, who commended the victims' resilience.

Trials, affected by pandemic lockdowns, have finished. Chief Crown Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec described the sexual abuse as utmost in gravity, causing lasting physical and psychological damage, with only one offender remorseful. Victims are now in better circumstances, Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Floyd reported.

The investigation took West Midlands Police six years. A review by Walsall Safeguarding Partnership addresses safeguarding enhancements.