A 54-year-old man from Leicester has been sentenced to an extended term of 25 years at Leicester Crown Court after being convicted of 13 sexual offences against a nine-year-old child, whom he threatened to murder along with her parents.
Clifford Paul Thompson, of the New Parks area of Leicester, Leicestershire, appeared for sentence on Friday 9 October 2026 following an extensive inquiry by Leicestershire Police into child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The court was told that Thompson was 54 at the time of the offending, while the victim was nine years old. Thompson carried out repeated sexual assaults against the child and employed coercive control and death threats to prevent detection. He claimed to the victim that no one else would understand their bond, whilst explicitly warning that he would murder her, her mother, and her father if she ever reported the abuse.
Thompson had been remanded in custody following his arrest on 22 October 2025. He entered not guilty pleas to all charges, requiring the case to proceed to trial. In September 2026, a jury rejected his denials and returned unanimous guilty verdicts across all 13 counts on indictment.
Under the provisions of Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, all child victims and complainants connected to criminal proceedings are protected by automatic, lifelong statutory anonymity. Publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any details, names, addresses, educational facilities, or photographs capable of leading to the public identification of protected individuals is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Thompson was convicted of:
- Two counts of rape of a girl under 13
- Four counts of inciting sexual activity with a girl under 13
- Four counts of sexual assault
- Three counts of assault by penetration
Passing sentence on 9 October 2026, the Crown Court judge handed Thompson an extended sentence comprising 22 years in prison and a further three years on extended licence.
Alongside the custodial sentence, the court ordered:
- An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) restricting his contact with children
- Mandatory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register for life under the Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Extended licence supervision conditions upon any release authorised by the Parole Board
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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