Ex-soldier jailed for 20 years for raping girl of 7

A former soldier convicted of raping a seven-year-old girl told a Devon court she bullied him into giving her “sex education lessons”.

Stuart Hendry was jailed for 20 years after Exeter Crown Court heard his victim had suffered psychological harm.

Judge Graham Cottle said his behaviour was “incomprehensible to ordinary decent people.”
Hendry, 59, from Torrington in Devon, pretended to be gay to hide his sexual interest in the girl, the court heard.

A former soldier with the Royal Corps of Transport, he was found guilty by a jury on Monday.
They rejected his defence that his victim bullied and blackmailed him into giving her “sex education lessons”.

‘Deep psychological scars’

Judge Cottle told him his actions amounted to “hideous offending perpetrated against a child of very tender years.”

During a week-long trial the jury heard how all the offences took place during six months last year.

Hendry had befriended the girl while visiting her parents’ home in North Devon and used his skills as a handyman to make toys for his victim.

Hendry then carried out what the judge described as a catalogue’ of abuse, during which he ensured her silence by telling her ‘The Government’ would take her away if she told anyone.

The court heard the girl had suffered serious psychological harm and now distrusted anyone in authority and suffered nightmares and flashbacks.

Hendry was convicted of eight offences, three of them rape charges.

Judge Cottle said: “On the scale of child abuse, this is towards the higher end. You have demonstrated a complete lack of any remorse for what you did.

“Only time will tell the consequences for the victim. It is highly likely, in fact inevitable, she will carry with her deep psychological scars.”