SHOCKING CRIME: STEPHEN MERRETT OF WESTON-SUPER-MARE GROOMS AND ABUSES YOUNG GIRL

In June 2018, a deeply disturbing case emerged involving Stephen Merrett, a man from Weston-super-Mare, who committed heinous acts of child sexual abuse against a five-year-old girl. The details of the case reveal a pattern of calculated grooming, exploitation, and the sharing of illicit images, which have shocked the local community and prompted a severe legal response.

According to court proceedings at Bristol Crown Court, Merrett, a retired serviceman of the Royal Air Force, engaged in a series of disturbing behaviors aimed at a young girl. He manipulated her by showing her films depicting child abuse, attempting to normalize their interactions and persuade her that their relationship was acceptable. This grooming process was methodical and calculated, with Merrett even discussing with others the best methods to ensure the girl’s compliance, indicating a premeditated approach to his criminal conduct.

The abuse came to light after the child confided in her family that Merrett had been 'naughty,' which prompted further investigation. The court heard that Merrett, aged 63 at the time, had already pleaded guilty to two counts of raping the young girl. However, subsequent charges revealed a far more extensive pattern of abuse, involving approximately 25 separate incidents. These included serious offences such as assault of a child under 13 by penetration, multiple counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and inciting or causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activities.

Additional charges encompassed causing the girl to watch sexual acts, creating and distributing indecent images of a child, and possessing a collection of child abuse images downloaded from the internet. The court was informed that Merrett had shared some of these images with a paedophile acquaintance in the West Midlands, further illustrating the extent of his depravity.

Judge Euan Ambrose, who classified Merrett as a dangerous offender, sentenced him to a lengthy prison term. Merrett received an extended sentence of 20 years, with a minimum of two-thirds (13 years and four months) to be served before eligibility for parole. Following this, he will be subject to an extended license period of six years and eight months. The judge condemned Merrett’s actions, stating, “This was the wholesale corruption of a young child. It is clear you found the sexual abuse exciting and gratifying.”

Furthermore, Merrett was issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his access to the internet and other digital platforms to prevent further abuse.

Prosecutor Richard Posner described the case as a sustained and calculated campaign of exploitation, emphasizing that the girl had been manipulated into perceiving the abuse as normal. He highlighted that Merrett’s grooming was so effective that the victim became compliant and viewed the abuse as a regular part of her life for nearly two years. The prosecutor also revealed that Merrett had taken photographs and videos of the abuse, some of which he shared with others, including a man in the West Midlands.

The police investigation uncovered that Merrett had downloaded and stored a disturbing collection of child abuse images from the internet. During police interviews, Merrett claimed that the girl had initiated the sexual contact and suggested she had a desire for such acts, a claim the prosecution strongly contested as false.

In a poignant statement, the girl’s mother expressed her anguish, saying, “My beautiful, smart, baby girl. What did she do to deserve this? She has had her world turned upside down, she has been abused mentally and physically.” The case has left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and the need for stringent measures to protect vulnerable children from predators like Stephen Merrett.