James Groves, who identifies as a woman and uses the name April, has been jailed for 20 years and six months after being convicted of repeatedly raping and sexually abusing a vulnerable girl over several years.
Groves, 51, was tried as a man and convicted at Bristol Crown Court of 18 child sex offences and attempting to pervert the course of justice. A jury unanimously found Groves guilty of 19 separate non-recent offences, including nine counts of rape.
The victim, who cannot be named, told the trial that the abuse had caused her to “lose” her childhood. She was praised by Avon and Somerset Police for her “exceptional bravery” in coming forward.
In a statement read to the court, she said: “I am just a shell of my former self. I don’t remember chunks of my childhood because of what Groves did, and this is because of the trauma I have been through.
“People have said to me that I am not the bright, bubbly girl I once was.
“I have lost my childhood. I will never get it back.”
The offending came to light after Groves was arrested over inappropriate communications with a child. The victim subsequently disclosed that she had been sexually abused and raped by him over a number of years.
She said: “I did not feel like it was enough for me to contact the police,” before later coming forward. Groves was arrested again for the offences while in custody.
A specialist investigation was carried out and support services were arranged for the victim. Groves was charged in October last year, convicted in June and sentenced on September 9.
Groves was named as James Groves on the indictment and was referred to as James throughout the sentencing hearing. He will also be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Constable Ben Perrett, of Avon and Somerset Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, said the case involved the “sustained abuse of a vulnerable young girl” who had been targeted and manipulated over several years.
“Groves’ actions demonstrate a calculated pattern of grooming designed to gain trust and exert control,” he said.
Mr Perrett commended the victim for her courage, adding that her evidence had been “instrumental in securing this conviction and preventing further harm”.
