Limousine rapist used Hummer to target victims

David Saynor sexually abused girls in Rotherham for more than a decade

A "manipulative predator" used his limousine business to groom and sexually abuse young girls in Rotherham, a court heard.

David Saynor, 76, would invite his victims to do "promotional work" for his brand and then ply them with drugs and alcohol before raping or assaulting them.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, Saynor, now of Mayall Court in Waddington, Lincolnshire, was found guilty of a series of child sex abuse offences dating back to 2005.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 15 August.

The Hummer stretch limousine used by Saynor during his offending

At his trial, the jury was told Saynor's victims were aged between 12 and 17 at the time of the offending, which took place between 2005 and 2017.

Saynor would often pick up his victims from schools or care homes in his stretched Hummer limousine or take them to or from teenage discos in Rotherham.

The girls would be given money for cigarettes, food or occasionally drugs and were "actively encouraged" to call him if they needed a lift or to bring their friends.

In one case, Saynor told a child victim he raped that he knew where her family lived and threatened to hurt them should she tell anyone about the abuse.

Saynor was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020 as part of Operation Stovewood.

Following a five-week trial, he was found guilty of four counts of rape, two counts of paying for sexual services of a child and five counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

Saynor was also found guilty of three counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

A jury found him not guilty of a further two counts of rape, as well as one count of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity and another of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

'Manipulative predator'

The NCA's senior investigating officer, Stuart Cobb, said Saynor had used his company as a "front" to gain his victims' trust.

"He was a manipulative predator who purposefully sought out those who were vulnerable or from troubled backgrounds, giving them gifts of money or alcohol to gain their trust," Mr Cobb added.

"It took great courage from the victims in this case to come forward and tell their stories, and I pay tribute to them for doing so."

The conviction of David Saynor means 34 people have now been convicted of offences following investigations by the NCA's Operation Stovewood into child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].