Sunderland man jailed for historic rape of teenage girl

Stephen Harrogate-Bramley controlled and manipulated the naive teen before brutally attacking her in a violent sexual assault that has “ruined her life”.

Now the 51 year old has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to two counts of rape.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Harrogate-Bramley carried out the attacks on the teen during the 1990s.

In a statement read to the court, the victim described herself as “an inexperienced child” at the time of the offences.

The court also heard how the woman has been unable to move on with her life or form stable relationships as a result of the attack.

Harrogate-Bramley’s crime only came to light after the woman confided in a friend and then finally told her parents last year.

Sentencing Harrogate-Bramley, Judge Stephen Earl, said: “This is the dirty secret that you have carried for the past 20 years or so.

“I have heard the absolutely catastrophic effects you have had on this young woman.

“You stole her childhood and she feels unable to trust herself as an adult.

“This was a man who used her for his own sick purposes.”

Defending Harrogate-Bramley, Katherine Dunn told the court that her client acknowledged the devastation he had caused and issued an apology to the victim.

She said: “He knows this will mean nothing to the victim in this case but he is asking me to emphasise how remorseful he is.”

Judge Earl sentenced Harrogate-Bramley, of Moor Close, Sunderland, to six years in prison.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.