STEPHEN CORNFOOT SHOCKING CHILD ABUSE CASE IN HINDLEY AND LIVERPOOL CROWN COURT

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Hindley and the wider Liverpool area, Stephen Cornfoot, a 53-year-old man residing on Castle Hill Road in Hindley, has been sentenced to a significant prison term following a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of a young girl and the possession of indecent images of children.

At Liverpool Crown Court, Cornfoot was formally convicted of seven counts of sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 13. The trial, which concluded in March, revealed that the abuse took place over a two-year period from 2006 to 2008, when the victim was between 10 and 13 years old. The court heard harrowing details of the abuse, which led to his sentencing to three years and six months in prison.

In addition to the sexual assault charges, Cornfoot faced a separate conviction for possessing indecent images of children. This charge was tried separately, and he was found guilty of 17 counts related to the creation and possession of such images. For this offense, he received an additional six months imprisonment, to run consecutively with his sentence for the sexual offenses.

Furthermore, the court mandated that Cornfoot must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his activities post-release. He was also issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which imposes restrictions on his behavior to protect the public from further harm.

The police investigation into Cornfoot’s activities began in November 2008, when authorities acted on intelligence regarding the possession of indecent images. A raid was conducted at his residence, where officers uncovered evidence of his involvement with paedophilic websites and the downloading of illicit images. This discovery led to his subsequent arrest and charges.

In October 2010, Cornfoot was found guilty of 17 counts of making and possessing indecent images of children, resulting in a six-month jail sentence handed down in December of that year. While he was awaiting sentencing for these offenses, a disturbing revelation emerged. A couple, who knew Cornfoot personally, discussed his criminal record with their daughter, who then disclosed that Cornfoot had previously abused her when she was younger.

Following this disclosure, police arrested Cornfoot again in November 2010, this time on suspicion of sexually assaulting the young girl. During the investigation, two mobile phones were seized from him, both containing indecent images of children. These findings further implicated him in the ongoing investigation.

Detective Constable Amanda Goulding, from the Public Protection Investigation Unit at Leigh Police Station, emphasized the gravity of the case. She stated, “Rather than admit his wrongdoing, he put his victim and her family through the worrying and daunting prospect of a trial. However, Cornfoot has been given what he deserves not only as justice for the abuse of this girl but for the other children who were abused to make the photographs he downloaded. This case proves the importance of dealing with people who look at indecent images of children on the internet – not only have children been abused in the process of making such images, but the people looking at them might also be involved in abuse that has not yet been discovered.”