"He preyed on young girls" - Serial child rapist from Derbyshire jailed for 21 years

Two girls both came forward around 30 years after the crimes were committed by Michael Taylor. All the incidents took place in the 1990s, with the first victim telling police he had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her as a young girl over a period of years.

The second incident took place later in the same decade where Taylor repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

The two women were forced to go to trial in February of this year as Taylor, previously of Arkwright Town, denied the offences. However, the jury at Derby Crown Court convicted him of nine counts of child sexual offences.

On May 10, at the same court, the 65-year-old was jailed for 21 years and six months – a sentence that was extended due to the nature of his offending.

DC Becky King, who led the investigation into Taylor, said: “The actions of Michael Taylor are beyond comprehension. He preyed on young girls, stripping them of their childhoods and leaving them unable to trust others.

“They were forced to live with the effects of his abuse for years before coming forward to the force to report what he had done. Instead of admitting his crimes he forced the women to give evidence at court – with the jury rightly finding him guilty of all the offences.

“The length of the sentence passed is amongst the longest I have seen for offences of this nature and show just how dangerous he is.

“And while no sentence will change the damage that he has done, I hope that it allows the two women to begin a new chapter in their lives knowing that they have protected other children from this dangerous predator.”

Derbyshire Police run a dedicated Rape and Sexual Assault online reporting tool where anyone can report something that happened to them or someone else. The reports can be anonymous.

Survivors of sexual assaults can also receive support from SV2 – a Derbyshire-based organisation who supports victims of sexual violence.

They can be contacted online or via their advice line at 01773 746 115 (open 8am – 5pm).

Alternatively, you can contact Derbyshire police using the following methods:

Facebook – send a private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page; Twitter – direct message the contact centre via @DerPolContact or phone – call 101.