Labour Candidate Jailed for 20 Years for Raping Child

Former Councillor and Labour candidate has been sentenced to twenty years in prison for grooming and repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor.

Former Town Councillor and Labour Councillor candidate Adam Buckenham, 47, appeared in Salisbury Crown Court on Friday, July 14, after being found guilty of eight counts of rape and three counts of assault by penetration.

Buckenham groomed the minor, who for legal reasons has not been identified, with the girl telling the court that she felt too frightened to reject his advances.

Opening the prosecution case last year, Rob Welling told the jury that Buckenham "started small to begin with, first of all it was a peck on the lips then it was kissing with open mouth, telling her that if she loved him that was the way they should kiss".

"[The victim] had very little insight as to what was happening and very quickly she felt out of control, she was scared to say no to him because he would get moody if he didn't get his own way." Mr Welling continued.

The prosecutor said that the issue of consent will need to be considered by the jury, adding "We say that [the victim] was being groomed by the defendant".

"He allowed himself to believe that was what [the victim] wanted." Mr Welling said. "Her resistance was met with moods on his part that frightened her."

Mr Welling said that in a "Calculated way he (Buckenham) was able to break down her resistance overtime".

Jurors heard that Buckenham, of York Road in Ventnor, made four recordings of the abuse and were shown a video interview the woman carried out with police in which she said that Buckenham "Always said I was his girlfriend and that he loved me, and he treated it as if it was a relationship".

She continued "[He would say] 'I want to spend time with my girlfriend'. I think it was just the way he spoke, he talked about us as a couple."

The woman, then a child, said that he would "Push and push until I gave in, I was too tired to carry on shooing him away".

Buckenham was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, for which he must serve at least two-thirds before he can be subject for release. If he is released early the remaining time on his sentence will be served on license.