A predatory sex offender who spent years abusing a young child in Ashford during the late 1990s has finally been locked up after his brave victim spoke out three decades after the ordeal began.
Trevor Bagnall, 68, was handed a prison sentence of three years and nine months at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 4 September 2026, putting an end to his decades of unpunished criminality.
Police launched a meticulous investigation after the victim courageously stepped forward to report the historical abuse.
Detectives uncovered a horrific campaign of repeated sexual abuse between 1995 and 1999, during which Bagnall groomed and repeatedly assaulted his young victim in the Ashford area. Officers tracked down and arrested Bagnall in May 2020, but the remorseless abuser refused to take responsibility for his actions, flatly denying all wrongdoing and forcing the case to trial.
A jury ultimately saw through his lies and convicted Bagnall, of Bordon, Hampshire, of gross indecency and sexually assaulting a child. The perpetrator will now serve a substantial custodial sentence for his actions, offering his victim long-overdue justice after carrying the burden of his crimes for thirty years.
Investigator Becki Pike, said:
‘We couldn’t have secured a conviction against Bagnall without the exceptional bravery of the victim in reporting the crime and working with us to gather the necessary evidence.
‘Bagnall refused to admit accountability and demonstrated zero remorse for his crimes, needlessly dragging his victim through a lengthy court trial in the process.
‘While nothing will erase the impact of Bagnall’s vile actions, I hope the custodial sentence offers some comfort to the victim.’