Rishton man jailed for more than 10 years for sexually assaulting teenager

A Rishton man who plied a teenager with alcohol and drugs before sexually assaulting her in the back of his campervan has been jailed for more than 10 years.

Neville Chapman’s victim was 16 when the offence happened in Darwen in 2019 and the defendant was 55.

Having bought the girl a number of drinks - despite knowing she was underage - Chapman offered her a lift home.

While they were in the campervan Chapman gave the girl cocaine.

Before he got to the victim’s house, Chapman pulled over the vehicle and got into the back. He then sexually assaulted the victim, continuing after she had asked him to stop.

The distressed victim managed to get out of the campervan and call a friend.

While she was walking home, Chapman (pictured) slowly followed her in his campervan.

When Chapman was interviewed by officers, he said any sexual activity that had happened was consensual.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Chapman, now 60, of Bridgefield Close, Rishton, was charged with two counts of sexual assault.

He was found guilty by a jury on both counts following a trial in June 2023.

Appearing at Preston Crown Court today (11th January), Chapman was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison by Judge Graham Knowles KC.

He was given an extended sentence of three years to serve on licence, placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made subject of a restraining order.

Chapman should have appeared for sentencing last August but failed to turn up in court. Officers arrested him after he was on the run for a few weeks.

He admitted failing to surrender to bail and breaching interim sex offenders’ notification requirements in relation to that time.

DS Mark Parrington, of the East Child Protection Team, said: “This was a particularly nasty offence committed against a 16-year-old girl while she was clearly in a vulnerable state.

“This offence has very much had an impact on her, made all the worse by Chapman forcing her to re-live her ordeal during a trial.

“We take all offences of this nature extremely seriously and do everything in our power to put the perpetrators before the courts. I would ask anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact the police, knowing they will be believed and listened to.”

If anyone wanted to report a sexual offence, please email forcecontrolroom@lancashire.police.uk or call 101.