A child rapist will spend 18 years behind bars for his sick crimes against five girls as he was dubbed a "manipulative and controlling" monster who threatened his victims.
Curtis Otley was caged at Bristol crown court for 12 sexual offences against five victims - including rape and attempted rape - over the last three years. The 20-year-old had denied the crimes, but was found guilty by a jury.
One of his victims gave a harrowing statement in which she revealed how Otley had "taken away a huge part" of her life. Her bravery was praised by police as she addressed the court with a victim impact statement.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "I was worried that people wouldn't believe me and until I heard the verdict this remained a constant worry, hanging over my head – even though I knew that what I was saying had happened. I would say that at my age, most kids don't go through this stress and are free to enjoy their lives and have fun. I feel like Curtis has taken a large part of this away from me."
Another victim said in a statement: "I don't trust anyone at all anymore. I am quite reserved with male friends and find it difficult to let my guard down." The mother of another girl targeted by Otley, from Bristol, said: "I have talked to her about future relationships with boys and men, when she's older and she said she's not interested, she feels that boys and men can't be trusted."
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DS Erika Winbow from Avon & Somerset Police said: "This case was reliant on both the bravery of the survivors who supported it and also on the compassion and commitment of dedicated childcare professionals within many agencies who gave those children a voice and brought Otley to the forefront of our attention. We should thank them all for playing a crucial role in bringing a very dangerous child sex offender to justice."
"Otley is a manipulative and controlling man who threatened his victims for his own gain. Child sexual exploitation is something that a victim may not recognise as such until they have been able to fully process and understand what has happened to them. For that reason, we are grateful to the commitment of those in our community whose work helps to support these young people and enables victims of serious crime like this to be found."
"The safeguarding of children is everyone's responsibility. If you think a child is suffering any type of crime, we would urge you to report this. There are ways in which your anonymity can be protected and we will treat all information with the utmost sensitivity and work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."
"I would like to thank my team and DC Katrina Collier, the officer in the case, for their hard work and determination, which enabled us to achieve this important result at court." Otley, of Stockwood, Bristol, was sentenced to 18 years on Wednesday after being found guilty of 12 offences, including rape, attempted rape and sexual activity with a child. The crimes were committed between 2020 and 2023.
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