Lancashire Man Jailed for Repeatedly Raping and Sexually Assaulting Two Young Children

Nigel Turner, 72, from Morecambe, was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Preston Crown Court on March 14, 2022, for repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting two young children. He was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Turner was arrested in November 2021 by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers after he distributed multiple indecent images of children (IIOC) through an online messaging app. Some of the images, shared using a false name, showed him sexually abusing one of the children.

Upon his arrest, officers seized his phone for analysis. The device contained images and videos depicting Turner raping and sexually assaulting two children, as well as engaging in sexual activity in front of them on multiple occasions.

Although Turner's face was not visible in the images, NCA investigators identified him through clothing, jewelry, and voice recognition. He was charged with 21 offenses, including seven counts of raping a child under 13, three counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, two of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and 12 counts of distributing, taking, and making IIOC at categories A-C (A being the most severe).

Turner pleaded guilty to all 21 charges in December 2021. Hazel Stewart, from the NCA, stated, "Turner carried out the most serious sexual abuse on these children. His crimes are truly incomprehensible. After capturing the abuse on his phone, Turner shared it with others online using a fake profile, in an attempt to mask his identity. Clearly he thought this would save him, but the NCA has the capabilities to disrupt offenders who use anonymisation techniques, and we are focusing those capabilities on catching the most dangerous of criminals."