A York businessman has been jailed for 14 years for raping a young girl more than three decades ago.
Clive Hartley, now 68, raped the girl twice in the early 1990s when she was in her early teens and he was 33 years’ old, York Crown Court heard.
Hartley, of Troutsdale Avenue, Rawcliffe, was convicted by a jury earlier this year after he denied two counts of rape. He appeared for sentence today (Friday).
Prosecutor Louise Reevell said the rapes occurred at a property in York in the early 90s
The victim, who can’t be named for legal reasons, finally came forward to police in May 2024, more than three decades after they occurred.
In the first incident, Hartley told the girl she “needed to get completely naked”, whereupon the “extremely sexually naïve” young girl undressed until she had no clothes on. Hartley then raped her.
“She remembered thinking, ‘What’s going on?’” added Ms Reevell.
After raping the girl, Hartley told her: “It will last longer next time.”
It would be more than 30 years before the victim came forward to police as an adult to say she had been raped by Hartley in the 1990s.
Hartley was duly arrested and questioned by police in July 2024. He denied the allegations, claiming they were “totally untrue”.
‘Very nearly broke me’
In a statement read out by the prosecution today, the victim said that Hartley had “stolen” her childhood through his wicked acts which had “affected me for more than 35 years”.
“It’s shaped my life in ways that are difficult to put into words,” she added.
She had suffered with anxiety “for most of my adult life” as a direct result of what happened to her as a child and had been on medication to help her cope.
It had damaged her relationships, led to feelings of anger and she had even contemplated suicide. She had suffered from a “loss of self-confidence and self-worth”.
She said that Hartley’s refusal to admit his guilt meant that she had to endure the trauma of giving evidence at trial and “reliving what happened”.
“The two years between reporting him and it coming to trial very nearly broke me entirely,” she said.
“What he did to me as a child did not end then. It has affected every part of my life for decades. I am still dealing with the consequences today.
“He not only stole my childhood but a large chunk of my life ever since.”
Defence barrister Sarah Barlow said that Hartley, a York businessman and family man, was otherwise of “positive good character” and had never offended before or since.
Judge Simon Hickey said that Hartley had taken advantage of an “extremely naïve young girl”.
He noted the “severe” psychological impact that it had had on the victim and said that her life had been “blighted” by Hartley’s heinous acts.
He jailed Hartley for 14 years and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Courage of victim
Detective Constable Ebony Wonnacott, the investigating officer from York and Selby CID, said: “This has been a long journey for the victim in order to secure her deserved justice.
“I commend the victim’s courage in sharing what happened and her resilience in seeing out justice, despite the long and difficult process to get here.
“I hope this case shows other survivors of abuse that the police are here for you, regardless of when the abuse took place.
“It is never too late to tell us – we are here, and we will listen.
“We are committed to bringing those responsible for such horrific abuse to justice – please don’t suffer in silence.”
Find out more on the North Yorkshire Police website here.
