Callington child abuser jailed after victim saw him in the news

A woman who had been abused as a teenager opened a news article one day and found herself looking at the man who did it. She had known him by a different name. The face was the same.

That moment of recognition set off an investigation that has now put Stephen Shill behind bars for nine years.

What the court heard

Stephen Shill, 63, of Valley View Close in Plymouth, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court on Thursday 23 July. He was found guilty of meeting a girl under 16 following sexual grooming, along with two charges of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

The offences took place in the Callington area between 15 and 20 years ago. The court heard that Stephen groomed the girl and then sexually abused her over a prolonged period, using her vulnerability at the time to carry out the abuse.

When he was interviewed, Stephen admitted knowing the victim but denied that any sexual relationship had taken place.

How the case came to light

The investigation began in 2024, when the victim contacted police after seeing a news article about Stephen relating to a previous conviction for online sexual offending. She recognised him straight away as the man who had abused her years before, though at the time she had known him as Joshua Edwards.

She told officers she had been vulnerable when the abuse happened, and that Stephen had used this to his advantage.

Detective Constable Emily Rickard led the case. “I would like to praise the victim in this case for her enormous strength in reporting what happened to her at the hands of Stephen Shill years before,” she said.

“Shill preyed on her vulnerability at the time to facilitate the abuse which had an immense psychological effect on her.

“It is due to her courage in reporting the abuse, and her remaining engaged in the court process that he is finally behind the bars.”

Emily added that the case showed it is never too late to report sexual abuse and bring offenders to justice.

Support available

If you have been affected by anything in this article, there is support available.

You can visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system.

You can also call Victim Support on 0808 1689 111, or the Devon and Cornwall Police Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.

Advice and support can also be found through the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999, and the Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) on 0300 3034626.

For more information you can visit www.dc.police.uk/Rape-SexualAssault.