Trevor New-Watts, 57, of George Pope Close, Norwich, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, August 14, to 19 years in prison for multiple sex offences against a vulnerable young child. The judge described his offending as 'wicked'.
Guilty verdicts after trial
New-Watts had denied the crimes but was found guilty in July following a nine-day trial of two counts of rape of a child, four counts of sexual assault of a child, and two counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Police launched an investigation on December 6, 2022, after a relative of the victim disclosed multiple offences against her. The girl used drawings to explain where she had been touched and what had happened. All offences took place between August 2021 and December 2022, according to Norfolk Constabulary.
Investigation and attempts to blame another
Officers arrested New-Watts the same day and seized his mobile phone and other devices from his home. Searches on his phone included asking how long DNA evidence would last on his body. He gave a 'no-comment' interview in response to police questioning.
Days after his arrest and release under investigation, New-Watts called police and social services in an attempt to frame an innocent person for his crimes, as reported by The Eastern Daily Press. Judge Mark Dennis said: "You were trying to shift the blame onto another person. This has been an underlying theme throughout these entire proceedings where you have sought to deny and diminish your offending."
Sentencing and impact
A relative of the victim said New-Watts had 'stolen' the girl's childhood, leaving her with 'physical, emotional, and psychological injury and trauma.' Judge Dennis sentenced him to 19 years in prison, issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, an indefinite restraining order against the victim, and placed him on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
Detective Constable Tabitha Goodrum said: "It took a great deal of bravery for this victim to talk about what happened to her especially at such a young age. What New-Watts did caused a great deal of trauma and continues to have a profound impact on the victim and their family's life. Not only did New-Watts refuse to accept responsibility for what he has done, he has put the victim and their family through the ordeal of a trial. We would like to say thank you to them for coming forward to police and hope that the fact he is now behind bars will help, at least in some way, to seeing justice done."
