Hayle man jailed for 25 years for child sex offences

One woman spotted a man she knew all too well. He was in a public place, in the company of a young girl. That moment of recognition set off a chain of events that ended at Truro Crown Court with a 25-year prison sentence.

Decades of abuse

Mark Vincent, 56, of West Cornwall, was sentenced on Friday 23rd May for 23 non-recent sexual offences committed in Cornwall over a 25-year period. Mark was jailed for 25 years with a further year on licence, and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Following a trial in April, he was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16, nine counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a child under the age of 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity.

Two young victims

The court heard that Mark groomed the first girl before going on to rape and sexually abuse her for nearly ten years. He manipulated and controlled her into thinking his crimes were normal and that they were in a loving partnership, but that she shouldn’t tell anyone else.

Many years later he began the same grooming process with a second girl, this time by making her watch adult films. He again insisted it was all normal and should be kept secret. He sexually abused and raped her for three years.

The moment everything came out

The abuse came to light when the first victim saw Mark in a public place with the second girl. Her concern for the child was immediate, and she called the police.

Mark was arrested and the second girl was identified. Both victims told officers that he had sexually abused them from a very young age. He denied any wrongdoing, and at the time the case did not proceed to court.

A case reopened in 2022

The criminal investigation was reopened in 2022 after one of the victims contacted police and requested a review. A thorough review of the evidence was carried out and resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service authorising charges.

Mark consistently denied all the offences. He claimed that one relationship was consensual and had only started when the girl was 16, and that the other girl was simply lying.

The tape that condemned him

The jury were presented with an audio recording in which Mark admitted to a witness that he had sexually assaulted the first child, telling them: “I’ve changed, God, it sickens me.”

In court, he claimed he had only made that admission to appease the witness. The jury weren’t convinced. They took less than two hours to find him guilty of all 23 charges.

‘A very dangerous paedophile’

Detective Constable Andrew Colley, officer in the case, said: “This case highlights the importance of reporting such offences to the police, no matter how much time has passed.

“Vincent is a very dangerous paedophile who has spent much of his adult life manipulating his way into the lives of very young girls. He was able to groom them into believing that they were in love with him to protect himself and to continue to carry out his offending throughout the years.

“I want to thank the victims and witnesses for their bravery and patience in coming forward and supporting this case which I know will have been extremely difficult for them. It is through their enormous courage that Vincent has been brought to justice.

“I encourage anyone who has experienced similar abuse to report it when they feel ready. Your information could bring an offender to justice, not just for you, but for others.”

Where to get support

Support is available for anyone affected by sexual assault or abuse:

• National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999
• Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626
• Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212
• Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900
• Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174

In an emergency, always call 999. For non-emergencies, visit the Devon and Cornwall Police website or call 101.