Man jailed for rape of woman and assault on girls

Gene Neville Wright was jailed at York Crown Court for the sexual abuse of a woman and four girls

A man has been jailed for 18 years for historical sexual offences against a woman and four girls.

Gene Neville Wright, 40, from York, carried out the abuse over a 15-year period between 1996 and 2011, North Yorkshire Police said.

He denied the charges, but was found guilty of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault offences earlier this year and sentenced at York Crown Court on Monday.

Det Con Sarah Scott described his crimes as "horrific", adding: "He raped the woman and stole the girls' childhoods, while continuing to live his own life without consequence."

His crimes were discovered in 2019 when one of the victims disclosed the abuse she had suffered to child mental health support staff, the force said.

Further victims were identified following his arrest and gave their accounts to officers.

Police said Wright refused to admit his guilt throughout the investigation

In victim impact statements read out in court, one victim said Wright had "not only ruined my life, but he's ruined my family's lives".

Another said the attacks meant she had "missed out on a proper childhood", with the abuse affecting her "understanding of what a loving relationship should look like".

A third victim said she suffered from the "ongoing emotional and psychological impact of Wright's actions".

The fourth victim said she was "too frightened to be alone", while a fifth victim explained she had regular and "debilitating" panic attacks as a result of the abuse.

Det Con Scott said: "Throughout the investigation and trial Wright denied every offence and accused all five victims of lying.

"They continue to suffer lasting effects from his crimes. My hope is that today's sentence gives survivors of abuse the courage to come forward."

Wright was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and given a life-long sexual harm prevention order.

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