In 2019, Rommel Torralba, then aged 41, of Lovely Lane, Bewsey, Warrington, was sentenced to 13 years and nine months’ imprisonment (165 months) at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting to the prolonged sexual abuse of a child.
The prosecution followed an investigation by Cheshire Constabulary into offences that began when the victim was a pre-teen and persisted over several years until she reached the age of 14.
Prosecutor Mark Connor detailed that Torralba compelled the young girl to engage in repeated sexual acts, both performing sexual acts upon her and forcing her to perform acts upon him.
Torralba told the child that the behaviour was normal and exploited her fear of his volatile temper and potential violence to ensure her silence.
In a comprehensive and powerful victim personal statement read to the court, the survivor revealed that the prolonged trauma had driven her virtually to the point of suicide, describing Torralba’s actions as entirely selfish.
The abuse came to light when the victim summoned the courage to confront Torralba directly.
Torralba initially denied the allegations and claimed that the child had initiated the sexual contact.
While Torralba subsequently reported to the police station himself, he continued to lie about the duration of the abuse, falsely denying that it continued until the girl was 14.
These denials forced the victim to undergo formal questioning and cross-examination during a pre-trial video-recorded hearing.
On the scheduled day of trial, Torralba abandoned his defence and pleaded guilty to:
- Two counts of inciting sexual activity with a child
- 12 counts of sexual activity with a child
Judge Cummings dismissed claims that Torralba had shown genuine remorse, stating that the responsibility for the victim’s suffering lay squarely with him and characterizing his demeanor as a blend of self-pity and manipulation.
The judge sentenced Torralba to a total custodial term of 13 years and nine months’ imprisonment.
In addition, Torralba was made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting any future contact with the victim and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Release Calculation: Under UK sentencing legislation governing serious sexual offences, Torralba was required to serve two-thirds (110 months / 9 years and 2 months) of his 165-month sentence in prison custody before becoming eligible for statutory release on licence, with the remaining 55 months served under community supervision.
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