Rapist locked up indefinitely

Sep 7 2010 By Camilla Goodman

barry seymour

A THUG who carried out violent and repeated sex assaults on a 15-year-old girl has been locked up indefinitely.

Barrie Seymour, 29, of The Chase, Chesham, exploited the vulnerable teenager's infatuation with him to force her to perform sex acts with him and, on two occasions, with another man.

When Seymour was arrested he told the police he regarded his victim as 'scum'. At the time she had rebelled against her parents and was living in a children's home.

Shaven-headed Seymour appeared at Aylesbury crown court on Friday, September 3, to be sentenced after being convicted of three counts of raping a female aged under 16 and five of sexual activity with a female aged under 16. The rapes happened on New Year's Day and twice on February 15 when he orally and anally raped her.

Prosecutor Sally Hobson said: "The sheer degradation she was put through went on for a lengthy period of time."

But she said the victim's life has taken a turn for the better since Seymour's conviction. She had passed exams and wanted to go to college and university.

Seymour had no previous convictions but had been cautioned by the police in relation to offences against a former partner.

Defence barrister Stuart Jessop said he continued to deny the offences.

Judge Christopher Tyrer passed an indeterminate sentence for public protection as he considered Seymour to be dangerous. Had he not received that sentence the judge said he would have given him 14 years.

The judge said: "You at 29 were nearly twice her age. She was vulnerable, having rebelled against her parents.

"The damage you have caused her is incalculable. It may be years before she comes to terms with what you did to her. Sadly she became infatuated with you. You regarded her as scum. You looked down on her. You saw yourself as her social and intellectual superior.

"You used her and her body for your own sexual gratification."

The judge described Seymour's abuse of the girl as "violent, repetitive, uncaring and disrespectful"

He went on: "You used her for your own satisfaction with no regard for her as a person or a young woman. You are devious, deviant and dangerous.

"You are an utterly dangerous man, any woman who enters a relationship with you will be in grave danger."

He passed a restraining order banning Seymour from ever contacting his victim.