STEVEN REECE SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR RAPE IN ST ANNES

In a case that has shocked the community of St Annes, a 45-year-old man named Steven Reece was sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 14 years at Preston Crown Court for a brutal assault and sexual assault on a teenage boy. The incident took place in June 2018, and the repercussions of this crime have left a lasting impact on the victim and the local community alike.

According to court records and evidence presented during the trial, Reece's attack on the 17-year-old victim was both violent and predatory. The assault involved physical violence, as Reece pushed and shoved the young man, followed by a sexual assault that escalated to oral rape. The defendant then issued threats, warning the victim that he would be beaten if he disclosed what had happened, and insisted that if he did speak out, he would deny the allegations.

The authorities built their case based on forensic evidence collected from Reece’s clothing, which corroborated the victim’s account of the events. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorized charges against Reece after reviewing the forensic findings and the victim’s testimony. The case proceeded to a six-day trial held in April of this year, during which the jury found Reece guilty of both rape and sexual assault.

Following the verdict, Reece was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed notification requirements and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, aimed at safeguarding the community from any future offenses. The victim, in an emotional statement read aloud in court, described the profound and ongoing impact of the assault. He revealed that he has struggled with sleep, experienced frequent flashbacks, and suffers from daily anxiety since the incident, highlighting the deep psychological scars left by Reece’s actions.

This case underscores the importance of justice for victims of sexual violence and serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts by law enforcement and the judicial system to hold offenders accountable, especially in communities like St Annes where such crimes are deeply unsettling.