Keighley rapist of girl, 7, is jailed for 8 years

Steven Banner, who had worked for the Scouts and St John Ambulance, abused the little girl on his duvet cover and stored the picture on his laptop, along with 29 child porn images and five indecent video clips, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Banner, 36, of Thwaites Brow Road, Keighley, pleaded guilty to one offence of rape, three of sexual assault and seven of making and possessing indecent images of children.

His camera contained 300 photos of young teenagers taken from the window of his house.

Prosecutor Tom Storey said Banner abused the girl when she was aged between five and seven.

Banner, a former helper with the Scouts, was arrested when the child told a relative she and Steven had “a really big secret”.

She said he told her not tell anyone or he would go to jail.

The girl’s mother contacted Social Services and the police were called.

Banner told officers he was “in shock” when he was arrested and denied any wrongdoing.

Detectives then found the indecent images on his computer and matched the rape photograph to Banner’s duvet.

Mr Storey said the girl had not described being raped but the image proved that it had happened.

Banner’s barrister, Sophie Drake, said he had pleaded guilty, sparing the girl from giving evidence.

Judge David Hatton QC said Banner was guilty of “a course of serious sexual abuse” against a young girl.

He jailed him for eight years for the rape and sexual abuse and four months to run consecutively for the indecent images of children offences.

Judge Hatton made an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order and ordered Banner to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

After the case, Detective Sergeant Ian Mitchell, of the Bradford Child and Public Protection Unit, said: “The victim in this case is a seven-year-old child who has shown immense bravery throughout this investigation.

“The sentence passed today by the judge clearly reflects the seriousness of his offending.”