Northamptonshire man jailed for 21 years for sexual assaults on children
A Northamptonshire man is behind bars after being jailed for 21 years for sexually assaulting two children including rape.
Mark Darren Mingard of Oundle was sentenced to 21 years in prison at Northampton Crown Court after being found guilty of five child sex offences.
The offences by 55-year-old Mingard took place over a seven-year period between 2015 and 2021.
Police were alerted to the offences when one of the children told a friend – leading to a chain of events which would go on to expose Mingard’s crimes and lead to his arrest.
Lead investigator, Detective Constable Laura Beeby, said: “I am so proud of the children involved in this case for the courage they have shown in telling us their stories and helping us put a sexual predator behind bars.
“Although no sentence will ever erase what happened to them, I hope the conclusion of this case provides them and their families with some closure and a sense of justice.”
Following an investigation, Mingard was subsequently charged with four counts of raping a child under 13 and one count of sexually assaulting a child under 13.
He was found guilty of the charges following a six-day trial which ended at Northampton Crown Court on January 19 and returned to the same court last week (February 27) where he was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
DC Beeby added: “If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, please come forward and tell us. We will believe you and we will do everything we can to put the offender behind bars.”