A Nottingham man whose abuse and rape of a young girl was revealed when she told an NSPCC volunteer has been sentenced to 15 years in jail.
Matthew Salmon subjected the victim to a “sustained” period of assaults, which included at least five rapes, Nottingham Crown Court was told.
The girl was just ten when she spoke to an NSPCC volunteer after a school workshop delivered as part of a pioneering abuse prevention programme.
Salmon, 29, was arrested and denied nine charges, meaning the girl had to give evidence during a trial.
But a jury found him guilty on all counts in December and on Wednesday he was given a 15-year prison term, plus a year on licence.
The judge ruled Salmon, previously of Botany Avenue, presented a risk to the public so serious the normal procedure of being released from jail after half his sentence should not apply.
Instead Judge Gregory Dickinson QC said he should only be released sooner if a parole board agreed he was no longer dangerous, meaning he is far more likely to serve the full term.
After the case, the girl’s mother told Notts TV News: “I’m relieved that justice has been done. It’s been very emotionally draining for everyone. We’ve got to pick up the pieces now.”
Salmon’s abuse was revealed when the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took part in a session run by the NSPCC, then approached a volunteer.
The ‘Speak Out. Stay Safe’ campaign involves talking to schoolchildren about how to protect themselves from abuse and how to report it.
Since the service started in 2011, it has reached more than a million children at 15,000 schools across the UK.
In Nottinghamshire it has reached more than 50,000 pupils at more than 550 schools so far.
Emma Grishin, an NSPCC co-ordinator for Nottinghamshire, said: “We often get feedback from school staff that children have spoken to them after a session about something that has happened to them, or any worries that they have.
“Since the court case, volunteers have told us how proud they are to be a part of this project.
“NSPCC volunteers and staff will continue visiting thousands of schools across the country and spreading this important message.”
Detective Constable Sue Hough, of Derbyshire Police, who helped bring Salmon before court, said she was “very pleased” with the sentence, adding he may have escaped justice were it not for the work of the NSPCC.
“Hopefully it [the sentence] will go some way to helping the victim and her family move on,” she said.
“With the positive work the NSPCC are doing in schools hopefully it will lead to more cases being brought forward so children aren’t suffering in silence. It helps children to understand what may have happened to them is wrong.”
- Anyone has any concerns about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice. Children and young people can call Childline on 0800 1111, or get help online.
