Man jailed for 13 years after sexual assault of child

A man from Liscard has been jailed for 13 years, eight months after sexually assaulting a girl and taking and sharing indecent images of her.
 
Ryan Woolsey, 25 years, of Withensfield, Liscard was convicted of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, possessing an indecent photograph of a child, distributing an indecent photograph of a child and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

During the course of the investigation into Woolsey’s offending, officers seized Woolsey’s devices and found he had taken and shared indecent images of the victim as well as assaulting her.

Detective Inspector Rob Pritchard said: “I know that people hearing the details of Woolsey’s crimes will feel complete revulsion at the way he exploited a young child.

“His crimes are quite simply despicable. Woolsey had no regard for the impact his behaviour would have on the victim, and thought only of his own sordid gratification.

“Sex offending has a huge and devastating impact on victims and their families, and that harm can last a lifetime.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim in this case and her family, whose courage in coming forward and co-operating with the investigation has been humbling.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the team who investigated Woolsey, whose actions have helped put him behind bars and spare this child and others from further harm and exploitation.

“I hope Woolsey spends the long time he has in prison considering the terrible impact of his actions.”

Det Insp Pritchard added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and stopping those who seek to do them harm – including those who share images of that abuse.

“Our Unity team is dedicated to preventing sexual offences and protecting people from the trauma and hurt sexual abuse can inflict.
 
“We also have a specialist Online Child Abuse Investigations Team committed to identifying those who share images online, often believing they have done so anonymously, so that they can be brought to justice for their crimes.
 
“Ultimately, our aim at Merseyside Police is to prevent vulnerable children from becoming victims in the first place and a key part of that effort is stopping the demand for such sickening material.
 
“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, know of a child being abused or know of an adult involved in storing or sharing images of abuse please come forward and report this to police. 
 
“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”
 
If you are a child or young person suffering sexual or physical abuse, the following organisations can also provide help and support:
 
NSPCC – call 0808 800 5000 or e-mail [email protected]
 
Childline – call 0800 1111
 
If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.
 
You can report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/how-to-report-rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
 
There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner's Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.
 
In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.