LEIGH-ON-SEA MAN SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS FOR CHILD RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

Ryan Holtum, a 39-year-old man from Hainault Avenue, Leigh-on-Sea, has been convicted of multiple serious sexual offenses against a young girl. Following a thorough investigation initiated in February 2020 after Essex Police received a report detailing numerous acts of sexual abuse, Holtum was arrested within three hours of the report on suspicion of raping a child under 13. During police interviews, he denied all allegations and attempted to suggest the victim was lying. After a lengthy legal process, including a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, the jury found him guilty of two counts of raping a girl under 13, causing her to engage in sexual activity, and one count of attempted rape of a girl under 13. Holtum was sentenced to 18 years in prison, complemented by a one-year extended license and lifetime registration on the Sex Offenders Register. Detective Constable Andrew Humphreys praised the resilience of the victim and her family, noting the investigation's complexity involving dozens of witness statements, forensic analysis, and extensive work to compile the case. He expressed hope that Holtum's imprisonment would begin to help the victim and her family move forward from this traumatic ordeal.