Inflicted a campaign of physical and emotional abuse on his victim.

Child sex offender jailed for 20 years after campaign of abuse

Carl Smith, 36, of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of a campaign of physical and emotional abuse against a child in South Staffordshire.

Smith was arrested in July 2022 after the offences were reported to authorities. He denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury in September 2023 following a four-day trial.

He was convicted of the following offenses:

• [List specific offenses here, replacing this placeholder text]

Smith was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, November 10. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a restraining order against the survivor.

Detective Sergeant Claire Mace, who led the investigation, stated: "The survivor in this case has shown immense bravery to come forward and report what happened. I can only hope the outcome of this investigation has given her some form of closure following the abuse she suffered at the hands of Smith."

She continued, "We are committed to pursuing perpetrators of violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls. Work is continuing around preventing offending and protecting those affected by it, changing behaviours and taking robust action against perpetrators. We want victims to know that they are our priority. Teams of specialist officers are here to speak to you in confidence, put a stop to those responsible and support you as much as possible."