Philip Parker

Philip Parker, a 63-year-old man formerly of Letchworth, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to 19 years in prison at St Albans Crown Court for the systematic rape of three young girls spanning 36 years from 1968 to 2004. The offences occurred while Parker lived in Letchworth and Essex, where he subjected his victims to violent sexual abuse, often threatening to kill them if they disclosed what he was doing.

Parker was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2015 following reports from the victims. He faced 10 counts of rape and, after denying all wrongdoing, stood trial at St Albans Crown Court in February of the current year. The three-week trial culminated in a unanimous guilty verdict from the jury on all counts. Prior to these convictions, Parker had a history of sexual offending; in 1985, he was convicted at Cambridge Crown Court of two counts of gross indecency against a girl between 1981 and 1984, for which he served two years in prison.

Judge Stephen Warner, presiding over the sentencing, described Parker as "predatory", "controlling", and "without shame or empathy". In addition to the 19-year custodial sentence, Parker received an extended one year on licence, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Yasmeen Malik from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) highlighted the severity of Parker's actions, stating: "For more than 35 years, Parker systematically and violently sexually abused three young girls, telling two of them he would kill them if they told anyone what he was doing to them." Malik emphasised Parker's depravity, noting his previous conviction demonstrated a clear propensity for sexual offending. She praised the collaborative efforts of CPS lawyers, caseworkers, and Hertfordshire Constabulary investigators in building the prosecution case, crediting the victims' courage for enabling justice after decades.

The case, reported by Hertfordshire's The Comet and sourced from Herts Police, underscores the long-term impact of non-recent abuse. An NSPCC spokeswoman described Parker as a "vile sex offender" who used threats and manipulation to silence his victims, commending their bravery in enduring the trial process to secure his conviction.