Man convicted of raping a child in Wilmslow

A man has been found guilty of raping a child in Wilmslow.

Daniel Carter has been convicted of a string of sexual offences following a 4 day trial at Chester Crown Court.

On Thursday 10th July, Carter was found guilty by unanimous verdict of 10 counts of child sexual offences, including rape of a child under 13, exposure, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The 28-year-old of no fixed abode in the Macclesfield area, has since been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on Friday 12 September.

Cheshire Police launched the investigation in November 2022 following a disclosure made by the victim.

The jury heard how Carter had begun sexually abusing the victim in 2019 , when she was just 9 years old, and continued over the course of 3 years.

Carter was immediately arrested and subsequently charged with the offences.

Following the verdict, Detective Constable Steph Darbyshire said:

“Firstly, I want to commend the victim for her bravery and courage shown throughout this investigation and trial. Sadly, there are no winners in this case, however I truly hope this result will provide her closure.

"I would like to thank the victim’s family who have whole-heartedly supported her and the investigation throughout. I would also like to thank my team and all those involved in securing this verdict – an immense amount of work has gone into ensuring the victim and other innocent children are safeguarded from what is an extremely dangerous sexual predator.

“Carter has shown no remorse for the horrific acts of abuse he subjected his victim to, and denied everything throughout the investigation, traumatising his victim further by putting her through a trial.

“Thankfully, the jury were able to see through his lies, and he will finally be held accountable for what he’s done.

“I hope this result will enable the victim to move past this part of her life, with the comfort of knowing Carter will never be able to hurt her again.”

DC Darbyshire added:

“As this case shows, we treat all reports of sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victims as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.

“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or through our website.”

Pictured - Daniel Carter.