Grantham paedophile jailed after 'campaign of rape'

A jury unanimously found Christopher Manning guilty of all 21 charges he faced after his trial at Lincoln Crown Court

A paedophile who carried out a "campaign of rape" has been jailed for 25 years for abusing children as young as seven over a 23-year period.

Christopher Manning, 38, from Grantham, was convicted after trial of all 21 charges he faced, including rape and sexual assault, at Lincoln Crown Court.

"After all the years of abuse, it still affects me to this day," one of his four victims said in a statement.

Manning was told he would serve another four years on licence when released.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Manning was arrested at his home on Dalton Close in February 2022 after he was found to be sharing indecent images and encouraging the abuse of children online.

After interviews with witnesses in the following months, police found Manning had raped and sexually assaulted young children "over the course of many years", the NCA said.

'Flashbacks and nightmares'

The sentencing heard he had repeatedly raped one of his victims over a 14-year period, starting when she was seven.

He had also raped and abused a vulnerable boy over the course of a decade and sexually assaulted two girls when they were aged 11 and 13, his trial heard.

Three victim impact statements were read out during the hearing, with one explaining how the abuse forced one child to "drop out of school due to panic attacks".

"After all the years of abuse, it still affects me to this day," said one woman.

"I have flashbacks of the abuse and I have nightmares."

At Lincoln Crown Court, Christopher Manning was told by a judge he had carried out a "campaign of rape"

The male victim said: "I don't remember any childhood before the abuse.

"Going to court to relive it was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I'm glad I did it, I feel stronger and glad it's over."

Sentencing Manning, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight described him as a "dangerous offender who posed a high risk to children" and said he had shown "no remorse" for the offending, which took place between 1997 and 2021.

"You blamed everyone else," she told Manning.

"You had an answer for everything, but it was lie after lie."

David Levett, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "This investigation uncovered that Christopher Manning inflicted the most horrific abuse against children over the course of many years.

"The impact of his criminality is utterly devastating, yet many of his victims bravely gave evidence during the trial and helped to secure his conviction."