Charles Wells

A Bedford man has been sentenced to three years in prison following his conviction for multiple counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual assault against two teenage victims. Charles Wells, aged 66, from Linden Road in Bedford, targeted the young girls who had placed their trust in him, exploiting his position to perpetrate the abuses.

The case came to light when one of the victims, who was just 15 at the time the abuse began, reported the incidents. Wells would touch her body both under and over her clothing and engage in inappropriate conversations of a sexual nature. It later emerged that he had also been abusing her teenage sibling, with those offences starting approximately four years earlier. The abuses inflicted significant trauma on the victims, altering their confidence and ability to trust others.

At Luton Crown Court, Wells was found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with a child and four counts of sexual assault. When confronted with the allegations, Wells dismissed them as ludicrous and denied any wrongdoing. However, the evidence presented led to his conviction, and he was handed a custodial sentence of three years.

• Victim's impact: One victim stated in her impact statement, "As a result of what he did, I no longer had the confidence to wear the same clothes as I used to. I felt that if he had those thoughts about me then other people might have the same thoughts." She further described how the abuse had made her wary of social situations, avoiding parties and festivals due to fears of others' intentions.
• Detective Constable Jenny Bryce, who led the investigation, commented, "How Wells thought that it was acceptable to take advantage of and sexually abuse two young people who had put their trust in him is unfathomable. Child sexual abuse is one of the most heinous of crimes and we work tirelessly to support the victims through an investigation and bring these perpetrators to justice."

The sentencing occurred on Friday, as reported by UKNIP, highlighting the ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for child sexual offences. While the sentence cannot undo the harm caused, it provides some measure of justice for the victims, who expressed a desire to move forward positively.