A 46-year-old Wiltshire cleaning company director has received a suspended custodial sentence at Bristol Crown Court after being found guilty by a jury of three counts of sexual assault against a 16-year-old girl.
Peter Soares, of Chippenham, appeared in the dock for sentence after standing trial on an indictment detailing multiple sexual offences committed against the teenage victim.
The court heard that the abuse took place across a single day in May 2022, when Soares was 42 and the victim was 16. Soares initially cornered the teenager inside a bathroom, saying “just let me have one touch” before putting his hands down her top and grabbing her bare breasts. The offending continued that same day with two further assaults: Soares touched the girl’s genital area through her clothing, and subsequently grabbed her hands to force them against his groin over his trousers.
In an impact statement presented to the court, the survivor recounted how she had been “young, vulnerable and still trying to find my place in the world” before the offences took place. She stated that Soares had exploited her trust in a cruel and selfish manner, leaving her frightened, ashamed, and traumatised, adding: “the pain has never left me.”
Soares maintained not guilty pleas throughout, forcing the case to trial. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on three counts of sexual assault, while acquitting him of two further counts. The court noted that Soares had no previous convictions, and several employees from his cleaning business submitted character references on his behalf.
Addressing Soares, Recorder Donald Tait remarked that the offences clearly breached the custody threshold and acknowledged the distress caused to the victim. The recorder also criticised Soares for failing to accept responsibility for his conduct.
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, the victim is protected by mandatory, lifelong statutory anonymity. Any publication, broadcast, or public dissemination of information likely to identify her is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Recorder Tait sentenced Soares to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Soares was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, pay £4,380 in prosecution costs, and comply with statutory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register.
The judge decided not to imprison the sex offender because he was running a cleaning company and his wife spoke no English.
Image – Offender Custody Photograph
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