GRAHAM OLIVER FROM HERTS AND SWANSEA SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRLS IN BERKHAMSTED AND HEMEL HEMPSTEAD

In a case that has spanned several decades and involved multiple victims, Graham Oliver, a 58-year-old man now residing on Heol Fedw in Swansea, was convicted of a series of serious sexual offenses committed against young girls in the towns of Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead. The crimes, which took place over a period of 38 years from 1977 to 2015, have left a lasting impact on the victims and have drawn significant attention from law enforcement authorities.

Oliver’s criminal activities came to light after one of his victims, who was between 14 and 16 years old at the time, reported her assault to the police. Her account prompted a wider investigation that uncovered additional victims and offenses. The second victim, who was aged between 12 and 15, was assaulted twice between 1977 and 1981. Another girl, aged 12 in 1977 and 1978, reported being subjected to abuse on approximately five separate occasions. A fourth victim, who was only 10 years old in 2000, was abused on two occasions, while the fifth victim, a young girl aged just 5, was assaulted in 2014 and 2015.

Graham Oliver pleaded guilty to a total of 11 counts of indecent assault and 2 counts of assault by penetration. His sentencing was handed down in July 2015, when he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with an additional six years on license, meaning he could be recalled to jail if he breaches the terms of his release. As part of his punishment, Oliver is required to register as a sex offender for life and is permanently barred from working with children in any capacity.

Prior to his conviction, Oliver had been accused of multiple sex crimes against young girls in the towns of Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted. He appeared at St Albans Crown Court on July 29, 2015, where he pleaded guilty to all 13 counts of indecent assault. The charges spanned several years, with the most recent alleged offense occurring earlier in 2015. The court heard that Oliver, who was a teenager at the time of some of the earliest incidents, had committed acts of gross indecency and indecent assaults against multiple victims, all under the age of 16.

Her Honour Judge Marie Catterson addressed Oliver directly, stating, “A lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable – you had better brace yourself for that.” Oliver remains in police custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2015, in what has been described as a case of significant criminal misconduct involving vulnerable young girls from the Hertfordshire area, with connections to Swansea where he currently resides.