David Le Cras

A man from South Gloucestershire has been imprisoned for 16 years following his admission to a series of serious child sex offences. David Le Cras, aged 61, of Worthing Road, Patchway, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, December 7, where he pleaded guilty to 23 counts of various sexual crimes against children.

The offences, which involved two young victims, spanned from 2008 to 2010. Le Cras admitted to five counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, seven counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, and three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. Additionally, he confessed to one count of rape of a child under 13, two counts of taking indecent images of a child, three counts of possession of indecent images of children, one count of possession of prohibited images of children, and one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image. Two further counts were left on file.

During the sentencing, Judge [name not specified in source] imposed a custodial sentence of 16 years, with an extended five years on licence upon release. Le Cras has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to protect the public from further harm.

Detective Constable Sabeena Ali, who led the investigation, commented on the case: “I would like to commend the courage and bravery of the victims in coming forward and reporting these crimes. I hope this case sends a message that it doesn’t matter when offences like this were committed, we’ll always listen to, believe and respect victims and ultimately try and obtain justice for them.” The case was reported by the Gazette Series, drawing from court proceedings at Bristol Crown Court, and highlights the ongoing commitment of Avon and Somerset Police to pursuing historical sexual abuse allegations.

The investigation underscores the challenges in prosecuting non-recent offences, yet demonstrates that justice can be achieved even years after the crimes occurred. Le Cras's admissions provided critical evidence, leading to his conviction without the need for a full trial.