Peckham child abuser who preyed on niece and babysitter he had known since she was a baby is jailed for 19 years
A child abuser has been jailed for 19 years for raping and molesting two children in the 1990s and 2000s has been jailed.
Roy McKechnie, 53, of Goldsmith Road, SE15 appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, 29 March and was sentenced to a total of 19 years’ imprisonment.
He had previously been found guilty at the same court on 21 February of three counts of rape; eight counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one count of indecent assault. The offences related to two girls who were under the age of 16 at the time – and one victim, Georgina Coleman, who had known him since she was a child told of her harrowing ordeal in Friday’s South London Press.
The court heard how McKechnie’s offending came to light in October 2016 when his own niece, then aged in her 30s, came forward to report abuse she had suffered in January 1992 when she was aged in her early teens.
She told officers that McKechnie had sexually assaulted her at a house in Sydenham.
As officers began to investigate the incident, his former babysitter, who he had known since she was a baby, came forward in December 2016 – unbeknownst to his niece.
Ms Coleman, aged in her 20s but in her early teens at the time of the abuse, alleged McKechnie – who was known to her family – had raped and sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions between 2003 and 2004.
McKechnie was arrested and initially tried to claim he was in prison, after being found guilty of manslaughter, at the time of the alleged incident in Sydenham. But checks revealed that he had been granted leave that weekend.
Although still in denial, McKechnie was charged with multiple offences.
Detective Contable Tony Roper from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command led the investigation. He said: “McKechnie’s offending appears to have been both opportunistic and predatory but has had an equally devastating impact on the lives of two young women.
“But, after a number of years he has finally been made to face to consequences of his actions and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison.
“I would like to thank the two women for having the courage to report their ordeals to police and I hope McKechnie’s conviction will finally allow them to move on with their lives.”
Full story in the current edition of the South London Press.
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