James Eves, 51, has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the Widnes area. Eves, who provided a court address of Boreham Industrial Estate in Chelmsford, Essex, but is originally from Widnes, told police: "I should have controlled myself."
Details of the offending
Eves drove his teenage victim, who cannot be identified because of the nature of the crimes she endured, to a quiet road in the Widnes area and sexually assaulted her before trying to make her perform a sex act on him. He had already sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions. When he eventually turned himself in, Eves apologised that he had "not been strong enough".
Judge Ian Harris, presiding at Liverpool Crown Court, told him on Thursday that Eves "treated [his victim] as a sex toy until she had the courage to report the matter". He added that Eves' offending took significant planning and there was a "clear progression towards more serious sexual offending".
Court proceedings and victim impact
Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, told the court that in early 2025, Eves turned off his phone so his location could not be tracked before driving his victim to "somewhere quiet". Eves then sexually assaulted her before they both left the area. The court heard Eves told her that they would both get in trouble if she told anyone what they had done. "That is why she did not report it," said Judge Harris. "She was scared and did not know what to do."
Ms Badrawy said the victim later told her parents what had happened to her. Eves initially made some admissions and told police: "I should have controlled myself. I should have stopped it. I f***ed up." He then answered no comment to all questions in two interviews. Eves pleaded guilty at his first appearance in the crown court to three counts of assault by penetration, sexual assault of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He had no previous convictions.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the teenage girl's parents said the police process and seeing their daughter answer questions about "deeply personal experiences" was "heartbreaking". They said their daughter had "become withdrawn, isolating herself" and bottling up her emotions at a "crucial time of her life". They added she now only had a handful of friends and had gone through personality changes because of "how vulnerable and unsafe she feels".
The parents told the court that they felt angry and helpless seeing the impact the girl continues to experience every day in her relationships and emotions. "Knowing what she has been through is nothing short of heartbreaking," they said.
Defence and sentencing
Jeremy Rawson, defending, told the court his client had lived an "unblemished and blameless life and now faced the worst type of sentence for the worst type of offences". The court heard Eves had spent his adult life in employment and was a qualified heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver. He was also a failed business owner and most recently had worked as a mechanic.
Mr Rawson said Eves' dad was ill at the time of the offending and said the defendant had "reacted adversely and inexplicably to the stress that caused". He added: "He remains supported by his friends. A number of them are in court today. He is well thought of. There is a massive amount of remorse. He faces a long period of custody. It is regrettable and a shame that a man of his age is facing a sentence of imprisonment."
Judge Harris sentenced Eves to six years and eight months in prison. He told Eves that the victim's parents said she had withdrawn from her former life and failed to get the grades she needed to progress educationally. Judge Harris said: "This is something her parents blame on you. The changes have not been temporary or insignificant. Their daughter has changed. They both support her unconditionally and describe the impact as heartbreaking."
Judge Harris said a pre-sentence report found Eves' poor emotional coping had led to a situation where he was unable to control his sexual urges. The judge said the Probation Service found Eves' "thrill-seeking behaviour led to the commission of the offences".
The judge stopped short of handing Eves an extended licence period following his release from prison. But he found the offender was a "high risk of serious harm to children" and imposed a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order against his victim for the next 18 years. Eves will also remain on the sex offenders' register for life.
Eves, who wore a striped short-sleeved shirt and sported a bald head, barely reacted during sentencing other than to nod slightly when the judge dispatched him to the cells. He turned and thanked four friends who chose to attend court in support before going with the dock officer. After Judge Harris asked the public gallery to be cleared, he called forward the teenage victim, who was supported in court by her parents, and told her: "You did exactly the right thing. You're very brave."
