FORMER BIRMINGHAM TAXI DRIVER JAILED FOR OVER 20 YEARS AFTER HISTORIC RAPE OF YOUNG GIRLS

A 73-year-old former taxi driver who raped two young girls and made one pregnant has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Peter King groomed his victims in the 1990s and 2000s when they were as young as nine and 11, using day trips, clothes, and food to lure them to his Highgate flat. He also targeted a third victim, kissing her when she was just six years old.

King, who was recently living in Southampton, was found guilty of 15 child sex offences, including five counts of rape and ten counts of indecent assault.

He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court last month, appearing via video link from HMP Birmingham.

The court heard devastating impact statements from all three victims. One woman, who described King as an "animal," revealed she had to undergo an abortion at age 15 after King made her pregnant.

She spoke of the terrifying threats he used to keep her quiet, stating: "There was a sinister side to his kindness. He knew what he was looking for and how to prey on us, using our vulnerabilities to his advantage."

Defiant in the face of her trauma, she added: "You may have stolen my childhood, I will not let you steal my future."

A second victim shared that the smell of Old Spice aftershave still triggers her anxiety, while the first victim noted she has never been able to step inside a black cab since the abuse.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Roderick Henderson praised the victims as "three strong women whose lives were destroyed."

Highlighting the long-lasting trauma of sexual abuse, Judge Henderson said: "If ever a case illustrated the terrible effect sexual abuse has, this is it. As with so many people who have been sexually abused, it is not resolved when it is finished. It continued for weeks, months and years later."

He added that such abuse "destroys their trust and confidence" and causes victims to wrongfully feel guilty "when none of it is their responsibility."

Defending King, Rebecca Fairbairn noted that he suffers from significant health issues but has taken a full-time job in custody, achieving 'enhanced status.'

She acknowledged that King is fully aware he may spend the rest of his life behind bars.

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