Ann Marie Clare

Ann Marie Clare, aged 43, was sentenced to eight years in prison with a three-year extended licence—totaling 11 years—for four child sex offences in a 21-person abuse ring at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The network abused seven children under 13 over nearly a decade in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas, causing extreme psychological injury including PTSD.

Operation Satchel, hailed by the CPS as the West Midlands' largest child sexual abuse case, led to Clare's conviction in earlier trials. The depraved acts treated victims as objects for pleasure, distorting their understanding of normalcy. Judge Simon Ward noted the sustained harm during sentencing.

Clare received a 30-year SHPO and indefinite restraining order. Victims suffered depression, psychosis, and suicide attempts, with recovery projected over many years. The investigation started with a suspicious injury at hospital. Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec stated: 'We hope the outcome of this case will encourage anyone who may be in a similar position to come forward.'

Five years of West Midlands Police work and three trials over 18 months brought the ring to justice.