‘Calculating and manipulative’ paedophile jailed for 20 years

A ‘calculating and manipulative’ paedophile who groomed and abused two young girls has been jailed for 20 years.

Mark Shephard, aged 61, came to the attention of Nottinghamshire Police in December 2021 when his victims confided in other people about abuse dating back more than a decade.

Both gave detailed accounts of assaults that took place in Nottinghamshire, and bravely gave evidence in court about what had happened to them.

Shephard, they said, had abused them on multiple occasions before pressuring them to remain silent.

When he was interviewed by specialist child abuse detectives in April 2022, Shephard denied the allegations and claimed his victims were making them up.

During a trial at Nottingham Crown Court last week, he repeated his denials but was found guilty on Friday of one count of rape, three counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of assault by touching.

He was also found guilty of causing a child under 13 to look at an image of sexual activity.

Shephard, formerly of Hutton Street, Sneinton, was sentenced immediately and jailed for 20 years.

Detective Sergeant Hayley Denoon said:

“Shephard committed a serious of heinous sexual assaults on primary school aged girls who were too young even to understand what he was doing to them.

“Like many other victims of this kind of abuse, it was only much later they recognised themselves as victims of childhood sexual abuse.

“Over the last couple of years, they have shown a huge amount of bravery in coming forward and giving evidence – including directly to a jury in court.

“Their accounts were measured and powerful and in stark contrast to the increasingly desperate lies of a calculating and manipulative paedophile.

“I am pleased for them that he will now spend a very long time in prison, and hope this result provides each of them with some degree of comfort moving forward.”