David Saynor

David Saynor, a Rotherham-based limousine company owner, exploited his business to groom and sexually abuse vulnerable teenage girls over a period spanning the late 2000s and early 2010s. Operating under the guise of providing free rides in his stretch Hummer, Saynor targeted girls aged between 12 and 18, often collecting them from schools or care homes. He would ply them with alcohol, cigarettes, food, and occasionally drugs, while encouraging them to undress or dance for him, escalating to sexual assaults and rapes in some instances.

The offences came to light as part of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) Operation Stovewood, the UK's largest investigation into non-familial child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. Saynor was arrested in 2020 after multiple victims identified him during the inquiry, which has so far identified over 1,150 potential victims and led to 36 convictions. Following a five-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, Saynor was found guilty on 15 charges relating to eight victims.

• One victim, aged 12 or 13, was picked up and taken to Saynor's limousine storage yard, where he raped her in an office building.
• Another girl, aged 14 and 15, endured repeated abuse over two years, including being collected in her school uniform with friends, given alcohol and money, and raped alone in the back of the limousine. Saynor threatened to harm her family if she disclosed the abuse.
• A third victim was driven to an unfamiliar area in Sheffield and coerced into performing a sexual act under threat of abandonment.

On 15 August 2024, Saynor, now residing at Mayall Court in Lincoln, was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment. NCA Senior Investigating Officer Stuart Cobb stated: "Saynor preyed on vulnerable girls who continue to live with the effects of his abuse as adults. The victims showed extraordinary bravery in reporting what Saynor did, and I’m pleased that we were able to get justice for them. I hope Saynor’s imprisonment will bring the victims some closure." This case underscores the ongoing efforts of Operation Stovewood, with 50 further investigations active.