Man jailed for 15 years for raping and sexually abusing a child

A man has been jailed for non-recent sex offending in Andover.​

Adam Buckenham, 47, of York Road in Ventnor, was convicted of eight counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a trial that began at Winchester Crown Court on 21 March.

A jury heard how Buckenham raped and assaulted a girl on more than one occasion between the years of 2012 and 2018, when she was aged between 12 and 18.

Appearing at Salisbury Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 14 July, Buckenham was sentenced to 15 years in prison and will be subject to a supervision order for five years on release.

He was also ordered to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Sergeant Steven Finnis, of Hampshire Constabulary’s dedicated sexual assault investigation team, Operation Amberstone, said: “The victim of this case, now a grown woman, has had to live with the memory of this awful abuse.

“I would like to commend her courage in speaking out and thank her for helping us make sure this awful case got to court.

“We take all allegations of sexual assault and abuse very seriously, and want victims to be confident that they will be heard and listened to, and their reports will be believed.

"I would encourage anyone has been victim of child sexual abuse, or if they know someone who has been impacted by child sexual abuse, to contact police on 101. They can speak with our specialist officers with confidence."

We know that not everyone who has been affected by sexual abuse has the confidence to report to police. There are support services out there that can offer help to you, completely independent of the police, should you need support.

You can also visit the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website for more information on where to seek independent support in your area: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/