James Bodenham, then aged 26, of St Luke’s Close, South Norwood, south London, was sentenced to eight and a half years’ imprisonment (102 months) at the Old Bailey on 3 October 2014 after pleading guilty to the rape of an 11-year-old child.
The criminal investigation was led by the Metropolitan Police’s sexual offences exploitation and child abuse command following an incident on the afternoon of 1 March 2014 in the Addiscombe area of Croydon.
The court heard that Bodenham targeted the 11-year-old girl as she was walking home from visiting a relative, approaching and befriending the child in the street before carrying out the rape.
The victim arrived home in a deeply distressed state, prompting her parents to contact emergency services immediately.
A breakthrough in the inquiry occurred when an officer from Croydon CID, who had stopped Bodenham in the street several weeks prior to the offence, identified him from local CCTV footage.
Officers arrested Bodenham on 19 March 2014, and subsequent forensic examinations of clothing seized from the young victim confirmed the presence of his DNA.
Appearing before the Central Criminal Court, Bodenham entered a guilty plea to:
- One count of rape
A second charge of rape was ordered to lie on the court file.
Detective Constable David Bendall stated that Bodenham had targeted an extremely young and vulnerable child who would have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of her life, praising the strength and courage shown by the victim and her family throughout the investigation.
The presiding judge sentenced Bodenham to eight and a half years’ imprisonment and made him subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
Release Calculation: Under UK sentencing legislation governing serious sexual offences, Bodenham was required to serve two-thirds (68 months / 5 years and 8 months) of his 102-month sentence in prison custody before becoming eligible for statutory release on licence. His projected release date was June 2020, whereupon he remained subject to licence conditions and supervision in the community until the expiration of the full term in April 2023.
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