BOLTON FORMER POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND RAPE OF TEENAGER
On Friday, July 5th, a Bolton Paedophile AND former police special constable, Stephen Godridge, was convicted for raping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a Liverpool park.Stephen Godridge, 31, of Bolton, had agreed to pick up the girl in his car on November 15, 2023.
He then brought her to Breckside Park near Anfield, where he raped and sexually attacked her.
The attacker had spent months in prison for previous offences, ‘perfecting’ his paedophilia in order to rape a schoolgirl.
The police knew about it but did nothing.
Stephen Godridge, who was under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life for acts committed in 2019, rejected the charges.
He was prosecuted, remanded in custody, and convicted of two counts of rape, assault by penetration, and sexual assault at Liverpool Crown Court in May of this year.
He was also found guilty of violating his SHPO.
At Liverpool Crown Court today, he was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 10 years and eight months.
Detective Sergeant Bob Sandham stated, “Stephen Godridge’s actions have had a tremendously devastating and long-term impact on his victim and her family, who have been supported throughout by specially experienced officers.
“Stephen Godridge denied the charges, forcing his victim to face a trial.
Fortunately, he was convicted of these charges and will now serve a significant amount of time in prison.
“I hope that today’s sentencing gives the youngster a feeling of justice as she continues to recover.
“We encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak with us.
We have a committed team of specialists that will handle your reports with expertise and compassion, and we will do all possible to bring perpetrators to justice.
“We take all such reports extremely seriously, and work with partner organisations such as Victim care Support Service and RASA who are there to support victims every step of the way.” To report a sexual offence, phone 101 and speak with highly trained officers, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
If you have been impacted by any type of sexual violence, you can get help from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service, which is run by two registered charities.
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside provides support in Liverpool, Sefton, and Wirral; in St Helens and Knowsley, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside can be reached at 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
UPDATE 25.06.25 A former police special constable who “refined his technique” of grooming adolescent females over several years will contest his life imprisonment at the Court of Appeal.
In July of the previous year, Stephen Godridge received his sentence after a court determined that he had groomed his adolescent victim over Snapchat before raping her in the rear of his vehicle.
Stephen Godridge, aged 31 at his last punishment, had been freed from prison mere months earlier after exploiting two other females under remarkably similar circumstances.
A senior prosecution informed Liverpool Crown Court that the defendant was a “sophisticated, predatory paedophile whose objective was to fulfil his inclination for sexual engagement with adolescent females.” The court was informed that Stephen Godridge issued a friend request to his 14-year-old victim on Snapchat, subsequently convincing her to send him images of herself in her knickers.
He thereafter travelled from his residence in Bolton to Liverpool to retrieve her, after which he transported her to Manchester to observe his football match.
After transporting her back to Merseyside, he led his victim to a car park where he sexually abused and raped her, disregarding her screams for cessation.
The court was informed that her “concern and apprehension” prompted her to photograph the interior of his vehicle and the route plan.
This ultimately resulted in Godridge’s arrest after automatic number plate recognition technology verified his presence in the region.
During the interview, he asserted that he “believed she was not underage” and alleged that the adolescent had informed him she was 17 prior to their consenting sexual encounter.
Stephen Godridge, residing on Southfield Street in Bolton, reportedly “perfected his method over many years prior” and was sentenced to 57 months in prison at Preston Crown Court in 2019 after being convicted of two counts of engaging in sexual conduct with a minor.
Utilising a same basic strategy, he separately befriended two 15-year-old females on Snapchat, falsely claiming to be 19 and 22 years old, subsequently transmitting pornographic photographs of himself and engaging in sexual acts with them in his vehicle at remote locales.
Contemporary reports indicated that Stephen Godridge was issued a sexual harm prevention order prohibiting him from contacting girls under the age of 16.
He had held the position of special constable with Greater Manchester Police until his suspension following an arrest in October 2016.
He then resigned from his position within the force and was released from his sentence four months before his most recent offence.
Stephen Godridge was convicted of two counts of rape, sexual assault, two charges of assault by penetration, and violating a sexual harm prevention order by a jury after a trial.
Judge Gary Woodhall expressed dissent and imposed a life sentence on Stephen Godridge, stipulating a minimum term of 10 years and eight months.
Stephen Godridge is required to complete the minimum term prior to becoming able to seek for parole.
The Court of Appeal affirmed that Godridge will present his case on June 26 to contest his life sentence.
