In 2019, the Offender Database reported that John Cox, then 38, and Jamie Cross, then 37, both of Simons Close, Wigston Harcourt, Leicestershire, were each sentenced to 12 years in prison at Leicester Crown Court. The “vile” and “predatory” pair were convicted of two counts each of raping a 13-year-old boy in 2005. The investigation by Leicestershire Police was reignited years after the “vicious” attacks when the survivor bravely entrapped Cross in a Facebook conversation, securing a digital admission of the sexual activity.
The court heard horrific details of the “vile” abuse, which took place while the defendants were in their mid-20s and running a first aid service at public events. Cox and Cross utilised their roles to build a “serious” and “depraved” level of trust with the victim before carrying out the “vicious” assaults. The survivor reported that the trauma had sent his life “off the rails” for years, causing recurring nightmares where the defendants’ faces would appear to shout at him from the walls.
During the trial, the prosecution reported that both men were already known sex offenders, having received suspended sentences in 2017 for possessing indecent images of children. Despite their “deplorable” denial of the rapes and accusing the victim of lying, the digital evidence from the Facebook exchange proved critical. Judge Robert Brown reported that the encounters were planned and represented a “gross breach of trust,” noting that the victim’s pain was “real, lasting, and will never leave him.”
As a result of their convictions for rape, John Cox and Jamie Cross were each jailed for 12 years and will receive specialised sex offender treatment while in custody. They were ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and were made subject to lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Orders (SHPO). Both are “automatically barred” from ever working with children and are managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Leicestershire Police. Any further predatory behaviour or presence in Wigston Harcourt, Leicester, or elsewhere will result in their immediate arrest.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.