SOUTHEND MAN FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING YOUNG GIRL
A man named Daniel O’Brien, aged 38, residing in Kursaal Way, Southend, has been convicted of multiple sexual offenses against a young girl in Essex.The court, Basildon Crown Court, found O’Brien guilty on April 22 of three counts of rape of a girl under 16, two counts of sexual assault on a female, and two counts of assault by penetration.
O’Brien was arrested in November 2021 and initially denied all allegations during his interview.
He was subsequently charged with the offenses and remanded into custody.
He is scheduled to be sentenced at the same court on June 27.
The victim, in a statement after the verdict, said: 'I hope that this will help others to know that it’s okay to speak up and be heard even though it may be hard.' Detective Constable Victoria Leese from Essex Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team praised the victim's resilience, stating: 'The victim found incredible strength to report and was extremely resilient throughout the investigation and court process.
Whilst she will never forget what happened to her, I hope that she is able to start moving forward and knows that her strength has meant that O’Brien is not able to harm anyone else.' Support services are available for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse, including expert counseling and advocacy through Synergy Essex, which offers support throughout the criminal justice process.
