February 2018

‘Sexual predator’ faces lengthy jail sentence after being found guilty of child rape

A former lorry driver and convicted sex offender has been found guilty of raping a girl on multiple occasions when she was as young as 13.

Jack Browne, 51, faced 11 counts of rape, indecent assault, attempted rape and indecency with a child. After a trial lasting three days he was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court.

The offences took place when the girl was between the age of 13 and 18.

Browne, who has previous convictions for sexual offences dating back to 2008, subjected his victim to multiple assaults, including forcing her to perform sex acts on him.

The jury deliberated for three hours and 36 minutes before returning verdicts of guilty on all the historic charges.

Judge David Evans adjourned sentence for 24 hours to allow the prosecution time to speak to the victim, who is now an adult, and hear how the crimes have impacted on her life.

He told Browne: “You have been convicted on the clearest evidence of sexual abuse.

“Tomorrow I will sentence you to a lengthy term of imprisonment but I will adjourn to allow the prosecution time to obtain from the victim a personal statement. That will inform me about the impact these offences have had on her over the years up until today.”

Prosecuting Mary Cowe, told the jury during her opening statement that Browne was an ‘opportunistic sexual predator’.

“He would assault the victim and then say ‘don’t tell anyone,” she said.

“The first sexual experience she ever had was at the hands of the defendant.

“He tried to make it seem like her was protecting her.”

The jury was shown a video interview the victim made with police.

She said the offences first started when she was 13 and that it affected her behaviour at school at the time.

Browne denied all of the 11 charges against him. The defendant, a serving prisoner from Exeter, declined to give evidence in his own defence at the trial. He claimed the incidents never happened.

Sentence will take place at 10am on Thursday, February 15.

November 2008

Paedophile jailed for sexually abusing young girls over prolonged periods

A paedophile who claimed he was sleepwalking when he assaulted two girls has been jailed for 13 years.

Jack Browne, 42, escaped prosecution after the first girl, then aged 12, called Childline, and went on to abuse the second girl from the age of five to 15, Exeter crown court heard

October 2008

Man, 42, guilty of raping child

A MAN convicted of child rape and other sex offences has been warned that he faces an “immediate and substantial prison sentence”.

Jack Browne, 42, was found guilty of rape, attempted rape and 10 indecency charges, after a week-long trial at Exeter Crown Court.

Browne of Copplestone Drive, Exeter, was remanded in custody while a report is prepared on him to assess the danger he poses to children and the public.

He was told by Judge Jeremy Griggs: “You have been convicted on all 12 charges which include rape and attempted rape of a minor.

“It is inevitable that you will receive an immediate and substantial prison sentence and, because of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the court has to look at the issue of dangerousness.

“Because of the sentence the court will be passing I am remanding you in custody.”

The offences took place in the 1990s and continued into the early 2000s

The judge told Browne that he would have to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, would be banned from working with children and would further be made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order when he was sentenced.

During the trial, the court heard that the offences involved two girls and had taken place over a 10-year period.

One of the victims had contacted Childline and the other eventually told her mother what had been going on.

One girl, giving evidence, said she had been scared to confide in anyone when Browne was allegedly abusing her.

“I was afraid nobody would believe me,” she said.

Describing why she went to police, she said: “I had recurring nightmares because of it. I didn’t trust men.”

She added: “I couldn’t let him hurt another girl.”