A serial sex offender handed a life sentence for a historic rape was already in prison after police matched his tattoos to a video recording of him sexually assaulting a toddler.
Peter Neild was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman while on a Prince's Trust course after a three day trial in December 20. The now 52-year-old and the victim in the case were both part of a group who travelled to the Lake District in the 90s as part of a Prince's Trust course being delivered by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The victim said she and Neild initially got along well and there seemed to be no issues. On the second night of the trip, the pair had been eating and chatting in the main communal area with some other people, who gradually left the room leaving them alone. Without warning, predator Neild jumped on the victim and removed her trousers before going on to rape her despite her desperate appeals for him to stop.
READ MORE: Man tried to fly to Dubai with Kinder Surprise eggs full of drugs up his bum
READ MORE: Try the Liverpool Echo Premium app and get the first month free
Cheshire Constabulary said the victim felt unable to report the offence at the time of the incident, and it wasn't until May 2022 that she decided to come forward and an investigation was launched. By the time the victim bravely came forward, Neild was facing separate charges for other offences.
The serial sex offender was jailed after he recorded himself sexually assaulting a toddler and was caught by police who recognised his tattoos. Neild's heinous crime on the little girl came to light after police found a phone hidden in the headrest of a chair in his Little Sutton home.
Officers had gone to arrest him on suspicion of downloading indecent images from the internet but were faced with vile footage of Neild himself carrying out abuse. Frank Dillon, the prosecuting barrister in that case, told the court: "His device was reviewed and two video clips were identified showing a male offender committing a contact sexual offence with a small toddler. All that could be seen of the offender was his hand and wrist but there were visible tattoos that were identical to those of the defendant."
The court also heard that In 2018, Neild messaged a member of UK Justice, a paedophile vigilante group, who was posing as a young girl online. Neild messaged the account numerous times, becoming increasingly sexual and aggressive in the way he spoke to her, asking her to send him pictures of herself masturbating.
Neild told arresting officers: "I need help, I cannot continue like this." Neild had previously been jailed for sexual offences including rape, unlawful sexual contact with a child and a sexual assault of a child. He was previously deemed a dangerous offender and handed an extended sentence when he appeared in court in 2022. He was jailed for 10 years and 10 months, with a further five years on extended licence.
He appeared back at Chester Crown Court on Monday, January 29 where he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years, eight months and 83 days for the historic offences. Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Helen Harrison, of Northwich CID, said: "I welcome the sentence handed to Neild today. Although he is already in prison for previous sexual offences, I hope this latest sentence will provide some sense of closure to the victim in this case.
"I would like to again thank the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation, especially after Neild refused to take accountability for his actions and put her through the stress of a trial. However, thanks to the evidence that she provided, the jury found Neild guilty of rape and he is now facing the consequences.
"I hope this case will serve as a reminder that we treat all reports of historic sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."
To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences. Always call 999 in an emergency. Information can also be passed anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.
There are many ways to keep up with news in Liverpool and our website is just one. Below you can find details about our premium app with a smooth interface, and no adverts. You will also find links to our breaking whatsapp community, Facebook page, our in-depth Daily Post newsletter.
Try the Liverpool Echo Premium app and get the first month free
Don’t miss the biggest and breaking news by joining our dedicated WhatsApp community. R
The Liverpool Daily Post newsletter delves into the biggest stories on Merseyside