Redbourn man jailed for indecent assault on child

A man has been sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for indecently assaulting a child more than 20 years ago.

Javier Franco, aged 52, formerly of Redbourn, appeared for sentencing at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday 26 August.

The offence occurred in 2004 when Franco was an army cadet leader. He had told the victim – one of his army cadets – to meet him in Greenwood Park, Chiswell Green as he had a certificate for her. He then took her to his bedsit where he indecently assaulted her.

The victim, who was aged 13 at the time of the offence, bravely reported Franco to police two years ago after she spotted him in public. He was arrested on 12 June 2023 and later pleaded guilty to the offence.

Detective Constable Sophie Beach, from the constabuary’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, I want to commend the brave victim for coming forward. She described how seeing him in public all those years later, made her feel sick and she felt she had to report it. We are so glad she did. Nobody should have to suffer in silence while their perpetrator gets away with such a heinous crime.

“Franco will now rightly be serving prison time for the indecent assault. In addition to that, he is now on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order, preventing him from contacting the victim, have also put in place.

“I hope this case reassures anybody else out there who is a victim of sexual assault or rape and is unsure to tell us. We will take your report seriously and fight for justice, no matter how long ago the offence occurred. We want to help you and we will do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible for you.”

Becoming a victim of sexual assault is never your fault. If you’ve been a victim, no matter how long ago the offence occurred, please report it. We have specialist officers on hand to provide advice and support throughout an investigation. The constabulary also has a number of officers who are specially trained to provide support to members of the LGBT+ community.

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support. To contact Herts SARC, call 0330 223 0099 or visit Herts SARC.