Ronald Didd, 62, of Potters Mead, Littlehampton, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 11 March, having previously admitted one count of rape and three counts of other sexual activity against the teenager. He will serve a custodial term of seven and a half years, plus a two and a half year term on extended licence. He will be a registered sex offender for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to female children, as well as a Restraining Order prohibiting him from contact with the victim or her family. Both of those Orders will take effect for ten years on his release from prison. Didd had previously lived in North East Kent and in the Battersea/Croydon areas of South London before moving to Littlehampton. Detective Constable Jason Berney of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “Didd met the victim’s vulnerable family and over a period of time two years ago he manipulated them in order to allow him unrestricted access to a child and commit the offences while she was staying in his home. “He caused great harm and fear to the victim, who was very brave to provide her evidence to police and support the investigation. “Following our investigation Didd was left with little option but to enter guilty pleas to the charges. The victim in this case really needs to be commended for her bravery, as this was extremely traumatic. He manipulated her family and left her isolated and vulnerable and yet she still had the courage to speak out against him.” Friday 18 March is National Child Exploitation Awareness Day, when we pledge to continue to protect those most at risk and prevent harm by questioning behaviours, looking again and convicting perpetrators. Identifying manipulative or coercive behaviour can be very difficult to spot but when the victim is a child and often cannot speak out – we must learn how to recognise their exploitation, question what we see and report our concerns. Everyone has a role to play in preventing child exploitation and you can help.
