Tony Taylor – Devon

A Devon man has been jailed for raping a teenager in a shed.

Tony Taylor, 44, forced himself on the terrified girl and ignored her pleas to stop, Exeter Crown Court heard.

He told her not to tell anyone what had happened and that it would be ‘their secret’. But police were called and Taylor arrested.

The rapist, of Coronation Road, Kingsbridge, initially refused to answer police questions but eventually pleaded guilty to rape and two charges of sexual assault.

He has been sentenced to six years and nine months.

The court was told he raped his victim in 2023. Taylor had been drinking and started groping the girl. She repeatedly said ‘no’ and froze in terror during the assault, said prosecutor Mary McCarthy.

There was DNA proof of Taylor’s guilt but he still refused to answer questions, added the prosecutor.

Judge Stephen Climie said it was impossible to know what was going through the defendant’s head at the time. “You are an otherwise decent member of society,” he added.

Taylor must sign the sex offender register for life and was given a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.