Simon Wilson

Simon Wilson, a 39-year-old man from Luton, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on 9 December 2021 to a total of eight years in prison following his guilty pleas to serious sexual offences against a vulnerable 13-year-old girl.

The offences came to light after Hertfordshire Constabulary received a report in June 2021 indicating that Wilson was engaged in a sexual relationship with the underage victim. He was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with six counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming. Wilson had first contacted the girl via Facebook Messenger in July 2020, initiating a grooming process that led to multiple meetings in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

According to the investigation details, Wilson collected the victim from school on at least one occasion and drove her to a multi-storey car park in Stevenage town centre, where they engaged in sexual acts inside his car. Following the incident, he took her shopping and purchased clothes for her, further demonstrating his manipulative behaviour. The victim, described as extremely vulnerable, bravely provided a detailed account to officers during her interview, which was instrumental in building the case against Wilson.

Investigator Jason Tinsey from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team commended the victim's courage, stating: “The victim in the case was extremely vulnerable and I would first like to highlight her bravery in speaking about what happened to her, which must have been unimaginably difficult.” Tinsey further noted Wilson's shameless pursuit despite knowing her age, adding: “Wilson shamelessly pursued the victim for a sexual relationship despite knowing full well that she was very young. He clearly has a sexual interest in children and therefore poses a huge risk to young girls. Now he is in prison, he won’t be able to target any other victims.”

In addition to the custodial sentence, Wilson was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to mitigate future risks. The case was handled by Hertfordshire Constabulary, highlighting their commitment to protecting children from sexual exploitation.