MAIDEN NEWTON WOMAN STEPHANIE SHORNEY SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES AGAINST YOUNG GIRL IN WEST DORSET

In October 2021, a harrowing case unfolded in Winchester Crown Court involving Stephanie Shorney, a 35-year-old woman from Hill View, Maiden Newton, who was convicted of multiple sexual offences committed against a young girl in west Dorset. The victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, courageously spoke out after the trial, revealing the profound impact Shorney’s predatory behavior had on her life.

Between January 28, 2017, and January 27, 2019, Shorney engaged in a series of sexual offences against the girl, who was aged between 14 and 15 at the time. The court heard that Shorney’s actions were not only predatory but also controlling, with the judge, Recorder Michael Bowes, describing her as a “predatory and controlling” individual. Following a trial that exposed the extent of her misconduct, Shorney was sentenced to five years in prison.

After her conviction and sentencing, the victim, who cannot be named, shared her emotional response, emphasizing how her childhood was stolen by Shorney’s manipulative and abusive conduct. She also expressed how reliving her ordeal during the trial process was a difficult but necessary step in her journey toward healing. The young woman stated, “Before this happened, I was a bubbly girl, always so confident and very social, but that didn’t stay for long. In the run-up to the trial, Stephanie really seemed to be playing with my mind.”

She described feeling as if Shorney’s guilty pleas and subsequent attempts to withdraw them were deliberate efforts to undermine her confidence and maintain control. “It felt as if her pleading guilty and then taking those pleas back were once again attempts to get at me and knock my confidence, she still made me feel trapped,” she explained. The victim added that Shorney’s manipulative tactics extended even into the legal process, with her trying to influence her emotionally and psychologically.

The court also heard that initially, the victim looked up to Shorney and felt less different about her sexuality during a confusing period in her adolescence. However, the relationship became increasingly oppressive, with Shorney’s controlling behavior and threats, including claims that she would end her life or publicly expose the grooming, forcing the girl to stay in the relationship against her will.

In January 2020, the victim received threatening messages from Shorney, including statements such as “I will hurt you” and threats to wait outside her home. These messages left her feeling terrified, prompting her to confide in her parents. Her mother subsequently contacted the police to report the threats. Despite being banned from the family home by Shorney’s husband, the victim continued to meet her in secret, often sleeping at Shorney’s residence.

The court revealed disturbing details of their sexual relationship, including how the victim lost her virginity to Shorney and how she was pressured to visit her for “birthday sex” on August 28, 2018. The relationship was marked by manipulation and coercion, with the victim feeling trapped and exploited.

Following her conviction, the victim expressed her relief and gratitude, saying, “I am so grateful to the jury for the guilty verdicts. It makes me feel believed and understood. I was a child when I met Stephanie and she took that away from me. She then tried to take away any adult confidence I had by going through trial, but I showed her I wasn’t that scared little kid anymore.” She also criticized Shorney’s refusal to accept responsibility, asserting that justice had finally been served.

As part of her sentence, Shorney was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and was issued a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years, ensuring strict monitoring of her activities moving forward.