Man from Stretford found guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl

A man from Stretford has been found guilty of multiple counts of rape, attempted rape and one count of making indecent images of a 12-year-old girl.

Jason Cook aged 50 of Coniston Road, Stretford was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 9 February 2025 to life serving a minimum of 18-years behind bars, he was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Between 2008 to 2017, Cook repeatedly sexually abused a girl who was just 12-years-old when the abuse started and following the sentencing this afternoon, the judge commented that it had been some of the worst the court had seen.

The sexual abuse came to the attention of detectives when the victim reported it to police in February 2018 and through a thorough police investigation, Cook was arrested on 1 March 2018 before he was questioned by detectives saying that it was “just malicious allegations” showing no remorse for his actions.

Detective Constable Neil Rothwell, of GMP’s Child Protection Investigation Unit, said: “This was a horrific ordeal for the victim to have suffered over several years and the length of sentence reflects the seriousness of the abuse the victim went through for a prolonged period of time in her life.

“Cook is a manipulative individual showing no remorse in court for his actions. After he pleaded not guilty, he forced his victim to stand trial and relive their experiences all over again in court.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the victim for their extraordinary bravery in coming forward and reporting the offences to police and I’d also like to appeal to anyone who has suffered from abuse to please get in touch so we can help you.

“We take all reports of abuse seriously, regardless of the time that has passed, we will thoroughly investigate the claims of victims.

“It also proves to those committing these abhorrent crimes that we will leave no stone unturned, and justice will eventually catch up with you.”