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00:11Once I woke up, I, like, opened my eyes and I saw, like, a figure in the dark.
00:19There was, like, a man, and he was kneeling next to my bed.
00:25And I felt, like, really panicked and scared.
00:31And then he showed me the knife.
00:36He was covering my mouth.
00:42He said, you better not tell anybody or else I will kill your family.
01:11We'll see you next time.
01:30Police, emergency.
01:32And we've always just come back from her dad's and she's basically told us
01:35someone's broken into the house last night and has raped her.
01:40She's 11 years old.
01:43Between what times?
01:46She's saying early hours of the morning, this morning.
01:50Has she any idea who it could be?
01:53No, she said she'd never seen the man before.
01:56Police officers on the way now.
02:05Following the report of a serious sexual assault on an 11-year-old girl,
02:10a forensic team led by investigator Rachel Hughes
02:13is called to the house where the attack took place.
02:18Sexual assaults on anyone, they're always horrific.
02:21But when you do hear about these things on children, it's very shocking.
02:26Their innocence is taken away from them.
02:29The victim says she's been sexually assaulted while she's been asleep in bed
02:32by a stranger, someone who's not known at all to the victim.
02:39These kind of cases are very rare, but right now,
02:43we don't know what we're looking at at this stage.
02:48Whilst the victim is spoken to by officers,
02:51a forensic search of the house begins,
02:53looking for any signs of an intruder.
02:59The important areas within this crime scene
03:01are the point of entry
03:06and the child's bedroom itself.
03:09Any surfaces that might have had contact from the offender.
03:14We're looking at the doors,
03:16door handles, looking at the door frames,
03:19doing swabs for DNA
03:21and fingerprinting those surfaces as well.
03:24Obviously, we just want to make sure we don't miss anything.
03:29You've got someone who's really predatory,
03:31they've got horrible sexual tendencies
03:34and they're very, very dangerous.
03:36You don't know what their next step could be.
03:41As Rachel's team continue their search for evidence,
03:45the case is immediately assigned to a specialist unit
03:48charged with solving the most serious crimes against children.
03:55This is a briefing in relation to Op Tetra Green,
03:59a serious sexual assault that's taken place on an 11-year-old child
04:02while she's at her father's address.
04:06Just to put some context around that,
04:08so our victim resides with her mum during the week
04:10but lives with her dad at the weekends.
04:14So we're told that she went to bed around half-past ten
04:17on the evening
04:19and dad has stated that she woke him up during the night
04:23stating that she'd had a nightmare.
04:27Later on then, she returned to her mum's address
04:30and it was at her mum's address
04:31that then she disclosed to her mum and her grandmother,
04:33I believe, as what has happened to her.
04:36She said that there was a man who broke into our house,
04:39he woke me up and tried to make me do things.
04:42He was trying to make me touch areas of him
04:45and trying to touch areas of me.
04:47He was putting his fingers inside me.
04:52So it's in the very early stages
04:53but obviously we've got a serious sexual assault
04:56of a very young child in her home.
05:00Lots of things are going through my mind.
05:02I've got the worry,
05:03is this a targeted sexual attack?
05:05Have we got a stranger who's got into the house
05:07and sexually assaulted them?
05:10Really, really concerning.
05:13I've got three children,
05:14two girls and a lad.
05:17You've got it in the back of your mind
05:18that I think you wouldn't be normal if you didn't,
05:20that, you know, this could be your children.
05:24We've got no witnesses at this point
05:27and no known suspects.
05:29So we are having to play catch-up.
05:31It's an awful offence
05:33so I think we do want to try and get this one
05:34as quick as we can.
05:37It is a really unusual
05:38and very distressing incident.
05:40The challenge that we have
05:42is that it's happened in a private residence.
05:44It happened in the middle of the night
05:46so there's no other witnesses
05:47other than the victim.
05:48This is a very dangerous offence
05:50and a very dangerous suspect
05:51that's committed this.
05:54I think the million-dollar question is
05:57why that house and why her?
06:00It was very obvious there's kids there, wasn't there?
06:03Yeah.
06:03There's a football goal,
06:05there's a rebounder thing, so...
06:07Is it opportunistic
06:08that he has just been walking down there
06:10and has seen the access?
06:12Because as soon as you come into that alleyway,
06:13it's not far
06:14and is it opportunistic?
06:17We are up against the clock,
06:18certainly forensically.
06:20If it's a targeted sexual attack,
06:23its chances are this could be a repeat offender,
06:25somebody who may have done it before,
06:27so that forensic evidence
06:28could give me the breakthrough in this case
06:30that we need to identify him.
06:47before vital evidence is lost,
06:50the child has agreed to an urgent forensic medical examination
06:53accompanied by her family.
06:55OK, so we have a female,
06:5811 years old,
06:59sexual assault,
07:00and she's attending within the hour.
07:03The forensic medical examination of the victim
07:05could be the only chance we've got
07:07of getting the offender's DNA.
07:09With a sexual assault,
07:11the victim is actually classed
07:13as a crime scene themselves,
07:15the reason being
07:16is that there's elements of the offender
07:18that have been left behind
07:19on the victim themselves.
07:25Hi, lovely.
07:25Will you just jump on this couch for me?
07:29Crucial samples from the child
07:30will be collected
07:31by a specially trained nurse.
07:35So I'm just going to show you this swab
07:37I'm opening up for you
07:38and you can have a look.
07:39It's just like a normal cotton bud swab.
07:43It must be so daunting
07:44for her to go through something like this.
07:46We can't forget, obviously,
07:47the fact that she's an 11-year-old girl,
07:48but we've got specially trained staff
07:50there and they try and make
07:52the victim feel at ease
07:54as much as possible.
07:56I'm just going to take some swabs.
08:00OK.
08:02DNA can remain on the victim
08:04for a period of time,
08:05but there is a forensic window
08:07of capturing those samples
08:09from the victim
08:09because evidence can be lost.
08:12The problem you've got
08:13is things like the victim having a wash,
08:16the victim showering.
08:18Sperm can only stay present
08:20for up to seven days,
08:21so it's critical that this is done.
08:23The sooner they're taken,
08:24the better, really.
08:26OK.
08:27All done.
08:28There you go.
08:29You've done really well.
08:37The swabs are sent
08:38for priority testing
08:39in the hope that they may reveal
08:41the attacker's DNA.
08:53Detectives need to gather
08:54as much detail as possible
08:56from the child
08:56about what she can remember.
09:01There you go.
09:02So you can just take a seat
09:03over there for me.
09:07The 11-year-old is interviewed
09:09by Stacey Reynolds,
09:10who is specially trained
09:12to speak to vulnerable children.
09:14Your mum's next door
09:15and your nan's next door
09:17in the waiting room,
09:19so you just want to go
09:20and see your mum and your nan.
09:21Just let me know,
09:22I'm guided by you, OK?
09:25So for an 11-year-old child,
09:27it is very difficult
09:28to ask them to talk about
09:30a massive trauma.
09:32Some children
09:33obviously only remember parts
09:35and don't know
09:36if it could be a dream
09:38or if it's actually happened.
09:40It's very difficult.
09:42But her account is crucial.
09:45She is the only person
09:47that knows what happened
09:48in that room.
09:51So you're here today
09:53to tell me what's happened.
09:56So, um,
09:58when I woke up,
10:00there was, like, a man
10:02and he was kneeling
10:03next to my bed
10:04and, um,
10:06I felt, like,
10:07really panicked and scared
10:08because I thought
10:09I was going to get kidnapped.
10:15That's when he covered my mouth
10:17and he kept saying,
10:19um,
10:21don't say a word.
10:22And he kept touching me
10:23in places
10:24and then he started licking me
10:28and then he got on my bed
10:30and then he...
10:32..he made me, uh,
10:35touch his private area as well.
10:39OK.
10:40So can you remember
10:41which part of your body
10:42you touched first?
10:44Uh,
10:44my belly button.
10:47I was really, like,
10:48frightened
10:49because, um,
10:51I didn't know, like,
10:52if I should tell somebody
10:55but this was before
10:56he threatened me.
11:00I know that you said
11:02something about a knife.
11:04Um,
11:04he showed me the knife
11:05and it looked like it folded,
11:08like one of those knives
11:09that you, like,
11:10cut carpets with.
11:12He said, um,
11:13you better not tell anybody
11:15or else
11:15I will kill your parents
11:17and everyone
11:18that lives in this household.
11:22This is horrific.
11:24A stranger has entered
11:25her address.
11:26He's sexually assaulted her
11:28in her own home
11:29when she should be safe,
11:30sleeping.
11:30This is your worst nightmare.
11:32This is any parent's
11:33worst nightmare.
11:34So can you describe
11:36this person
11:37in as much detail
11:38as possible?
11:39He was in black clothing.
11:42He was a little bit,
11:43like, fat,
11:44like a little bit of a tummy.
11:46And then he's, like,
11:48bold.
11:50OK.
11:51Do you know
11:52what happened
11:52with the knife
11:53after he threatened you?
11:54I think he put it, like,
11:56back in his, um,
11:57pocket.
11:58And that's when, um,
12:00he took my bottle.
12:04Can you tell me
12:06what the bottle is
12:07and how he's taking it, please?
12:09So it's, um,
12:10like a reusable bottle.
12:12He said,
12:13I'm going to need
12:13to take this.
12:14He, like,
12:15opened his coat
12:16and then he, like,
12:17grabbed the bottle
12:18and put it inside.
12:20Then he stood by my door
12:21and he was saying
12:22sorry a couple times
12:23and then he left
12:24in the direction
12:24of the back door.
12:26OK.
12:28I'm like,
12:28I was still really
12:29panicked and scared
12:30because the man
12:31knows where I live
12:32and if he founds
12:33that I've told anybody,
12:34he knows where to go
12:35and where to kill people.
12:39But I know I needed
12:40to tell somebody
12:40because it was, like,
12:42really serious.
12:43So that's why I waited
12:44till I got to my mum's house.
12:46Oh, OK.
12:49She was amazingly brave.
12:51I'm always mindful
12:52that trauma
12:53can affect memories
12:54in different ways
12:55but considering she's 11,
12:58the detail that she went
12:59into was amazing.
13:00So I believe the child
13:02but we do need
13:03corroborating evidence
13:04to show
13:05that it has actually happened.
13:07How are you feeling now?
13:09Obviously,
13:09a lot's happened.
13:11I feel, like,
13:12a bit relieved
13:13because it's, like,
13:14over now
13:15and I'm glad
13:16that I told somebody.
13:18OK.
13:18That's fine.
13:19Thank you so much.
13:29Armed with the victim's
13:30clear description
13:31of her attacker,
13:33detectives start a sweep
13:34for CCTV
13:35near her home
13:36hoping to find a camera
13:38that captured him.
13:41There's somebody out there
13:43that's dangerous.
13:44Somebody who's doing
13:44the unthinkable thing
13:46to someone else.
13:47So we really need
13:48to find them
13:48as a matter of urgency.
13:52There's been an incident
13:53that took place
13:54in the early hours
13:55and I was just wondering
13:56firstly if your ring
13:57doorbell works.
13:59We don't have a clue
14:00who this person is.
14:02It can feel like
14:03a needle in a haystack.
14:05We're trying to track
14:06him going to
14:07the offence location.
14:09Yeah.
14:10There's no cameras here,
14:11is there?
14:12Not really anything.
14:15What's that?
14:18Well, this is a really
14:19good alleyway
14:19because it's really long
14:21and there's no cameras
14:22that cover it.
14:23So if he was trying
14:24to avoid CCTV,
14:25this is a very good route
14:26to have taken.
14:29I don't suppose
14:30you know if CCTV
14:31works at all.
14:33There are no CCTV
14:35that capture
14:36that particular house.
14:37So we're looking
14:38at the surrounding areas
14:39but ultimately
14:40we're trying to identify
14:42and we want to get
14:44justice for the victim.
14:49As detectives hunt
14:50for CCTV,
14:53the forensic team
14:54searches for the items
14:55described by the child.
14:58The knife she was
15:00threatened with
15:02and the water bottle
15:03the attacker took
15:04from her room.
15:07The victim's account
15:08could be really crucial
15:09for us.
15:10Now we can target
15:11those items
15:12that potentially
15:12have traces of the DNA
15:14from the offender on there.
15:17Hi O'Neill,
15:19it's Rachel Hughes
15:19from the crime scene
15:20coordinators.
15:21Hello O'Neill.
15:22With regards
15:23to this kind of scene
15:24we're very lucky actually
15:24that it's predominantly
15:25enclosed inside a house
15:27and therefore
15:28we haven't sort of
15:29lost much forensically.
15:30OK.
15:31We've got
15:31like a pair
15:33of French doors
15:33and there's also
15:34a kitchen door
15:35who've taken
15:37DNA swabs
15:38from the inside
15:39and outside surfaces
15:40of both those doors
15:42and we've also
15:43done the same
15:43on the victim's
15:44bedroom door.
15:45The outside surface
15:47of that and the inside
15:47surface of that
15:48has been swabbed as well.
15:50The problem you've got
15:51is when you have
15:52a family household
15:53that is actually
15:54the crime scene
15:55there can be a lot
15:55of footfall
15:56through there
15:57there can be a lot
15:57of traces of DNA
15:58that are actually
15:59innocent persons
16:01that we need to rule out
16:02which makes it
16:03even more difficult.
16:05There is a forensic window
16:06obviously that we do
16:07stand a chance
16:08of losing evidence
16:08but thankfully
16:09this is still a very
16:11forensically rich scene
16:12so as soon as
16:13those samples are taken
16:14we'll submit those
16:15to the lab
16:15as a matter of urgency.
16:17OK.
16:18We've got to try
16:19and find a forensic link
16:20between the offender
16:21and the victim.
16:23What they've done
16:23to that victim
16:24is so repulsive
16:25and so scary
16:26and dangerous
16:27that we've got to
16:29do everything we can
16:29to get him in
16:30as soon as possible.
16:47So members of the public
16:49have uploaded
16:50up to 300 items.
16:53The search for an image
16:55of the attacker
16:55remains vital.
16:57Stuart has now collected
16:59over 200 hours of footage
17:01that he needs to scrutinise
17:03for any trace of the man.
17:06Again, it was early hours
17:07the victim has described
17:09a white male
17:10with a bald head.
17:13I'm looking at
17:13multiple cameras
17:14different angles
17:16did they use a car?
17:17Did they go by foot?
17:19Were they with somebody else?
17:21These are the sort of things
17:22that we need to look at.
17:24When it is at night
17:25the images are not always
17:27as clear as what we'd hope.
17:29When you look at it
17:30it's bad CCTV
17:31it's blurry
17:32it's grainy
17:33it can be very tricky
17:35because it doesn't
17:36actually show too much.
17:39We're trying to identify
17:41a route
17:42that someone has taken.
17:44Stuart focuses
17:45on finding anyone
17:46out in the early hours
17:47of the morning
17:48who matches the description
17:50given by the 11 year old child.
17:55It's a black and white image
17:57but that is a person
17:58of interest.
18:00Balting hair
18:01white male.
18:05Oh he's walking
18:07down there
18:08which leads
18:09to the main road.
18:11Okay
18:12there aren't many
18:13other opportunities there.
18:18Narrowing his search
18:20Stuart spots a man
18:21walk into range
18:22of a camera
18:23closer to the victim's home.
18:25So this is
18:26one of the petrol
18:28garages
18:28not too far away.
18:303.22
18:31in the morning
18:32and there's a figure here
18:34and he's crossed the road
18:36and nobody else
18:38is walking the streets
18:39at this time
18:39at that location.
18:41Just here.
18:43Bald head
18:44small in height.
18:50I've got a different angle.
18:52This one's from behind
18:53he's in colour.
18:55White male
18:56bald head
18:56that's it.
18:59Nick?
19:03I think
19:04I've found
19:05a person.
19:07Okay.
19:07See him there?
19:09Crossing the road.
19:10That's the petrol
19:11garage.
19:12It is yeah.
19:13So he's walking
19:14the direction
19:14of
19:14a train station.
19:17Ah yeah.
19:18Right so these
19:18are the train steps.
19:20Yeah.
19:213.24am
19:22that's the same person.
19:25It is an unusual
19:25time for somebody
19:26to be walking
19:26the streets
19:27in those early hours.
19:29We need to
19:31show the route
19:32to understand
19:34his movements
19:35before
19:36during
19:37and after.
19:39He's a person
19:40of great interest
19:41however
19:42it's not an offence
19:43to be walking
19:43round late at night.
19:45Doesn't show
19:46the act being carried out
19:47but showing
19:49circumstantial evidence.
19:50It's not the best picture.
19:52It's quite difficult
19:53to make out
19:54the colour of the clothing
19:55because it's black and white.
19:56It's not clear enough.
19:57It's from quite
19:58some distance.
19:59That's really frustrating
20:00because we really want
20:01to get a good clear image
20:02of their face.
20:04This person
20:06disappears
20:06moments after that.
20:09We need to identify
20:10other footage
20:11very quickly.
20:15while the quest
20:16for a clearer image
20:17continues
20:19detectives
20:20are still hopeful
20:20the forensic evidence
20:22gathered from the
20:22child's house
20:23will reveal
20:24the identity
20:25of the attacker.
20:27So
20:27from the actual
20:28scene itself
20:29this is going
20:30into
20:30the victim's bedroom.
20:32We don't think
20:33that he's actually
20:34come any further
20:35than the bedroom itself
20:36and nothing to imply
20:38that he's gone in there
20:39for a burglary
20:39because nothing's been taken.
20:40We haven't confirmed
20:41that yet
20:43but
20:43We can't rule it out.
20:44We can't rule it out, no.
20:45Right, okay.
20:46So
20:47let me just show you.
20:50Okay, so we've got
20:51some items of clothing.
20:52We think these are
20:53the silky pyjama bottoms
20:55that were put on
20:55by the victim
20:56post-incident.
20:58Those silky pyjama bottoms
21:00or any clothing
21:01that she was wearing
21:02during or post-incident
21:03basically
21:04are priority as well.
21:07We spoke to Dad
21:08because obviously
21:08Dad's given us a statement
21:09so maybe halfway
21:10to 4am
21:11is when we think
21:12the offenders
21:12come in
21:13and committed
21:14the offences.
21:15There was mention
21:15on there as well
21:16that he produced
21:17a knife.
21:19During the examination
21:20at the property
21:20we haven't found
21:21that knife
21:21but there's a water bottle,
21:23a drinks water bottle.
21:25It's been found
21:26in the rear garden.
21:28So we've got the potential
21:29of fingerprints on that
21:30as well
21:30so we can get it
21:31into the fingerprint
21:31development lab.
21:32Yep, sounds good.
21:33Are we going to be limited
21:34with the drinks bottle
21:35because it's been outside
21:36and obviously
21:36the weather's been awful?
21:38It doesn't help
21:39but we always stand
21:39a chance of still
21:40recovering fingerprint
21:41evidence from that.
21:43Forensics is definitely
21:43the most crucial
21:45line of inquiry
21:46for us as an investigation
21:48team, definitely
21:49at this stage.
21:49We are concerned
21:51because of the nature
21:51of the offence
21:53you know,
21:54he's still out there
21:54we don't know
21:55who he is.
21:57There's a lot of pressure
21:58on us at the moment
21:59get the name of the offender
22:00get as much evidence
22:02as we can
22:02to find out
22:03who this individual is.
22:06Based on what
22:07the victim has told us
22:08we now know
22:09that the offender
22:10has handled
22:11this water bottle
22:12so for us
22:13it's priority
22:14at the moment
22:14to get that examined.
22:28The child's water bottle
22:30which was found
22:31discarded in the garden
22:32is fast-tracked
22:34to the fingerprint lab
22:35for screening.
22:41What I'm doing initially
22:42is light sourcing
22:43the bottle
22:45and what I'm looking for
22:46is latent
22:48finger marks
22:51a juice bottle
22:52a water bottle
22:53there's a lot
22:55of traffic
22:56so you would imagine
22:57that you'd get
22:58some sort of
22:59finger marks
23:00on there
23:01whether it be
23:01victim
23:02or the suspect
23:05so this is
23:06the UV
23:07light
23:08it will fluoresce
23:09any finger marks
23:10that may be present
23:16The water bottles
23:17that you get
23:18the refillable ones
23:19that are plastic surfaces
23:20although they generally
23:22look smooth
23:22the actual surfaces
23:24themselves
23:24are kind of like
23:26a textured plastic
23:26so don't always yield
23:28the best fingerprint
23:29evidence for us
23:32Unfortunately
23:33it doesn't look like
23:35it's enhanced
23:36any further
23:37finger marks
23:39Unable to visualise
23:40any marks
23:41on the bottle
23:42examiner
23:43Beverley Worrell
23:44turns to a superglue
23:45chamber
23:45in an attempt
23:46to enhance it
23:49So the exhibit
23:50will go in here
23:52and what the superglue
23:54adheres to
23:55is the amino acids
23:56in your fingerprints
23:57so any sweat components
24:01so the glue
24:02will stick to those
24:03and then we'll be able
24:04to visualise those
24:05under the white light
24:23So you can see
24:24you've got
24:25run marks
24:26down the bottle
24:27that's where
24:28the superglue
24:29is adhered to
24:30what may have been
24:31juice
24:32on the outside
24:33of the bottle
24:36It is disappointing
24:37when you don't
24:38enhance any finger marks
24:46We're a bit
24:48of a crossroads
24:48really
24:49The water bottle
24:50hasn't yielded anything
24:52so at the moment
24:53it's worrying
24:54that our offender
24:55remains unknown
24:56so CCTV
24:58could be key
25:05CCTV is like
25:07a puzzle
25:07You need to be
25:09persistent
25:11Sometimes I can
25:11drive past
25:12this particular area
25:13where I've carried out
25:14CCTV
25:15and remember
25:16something that's
25:17happened
25:17You don't ever forget
25:21It can be difficult
25:22knowing what
25:23someone's done
25:24or even what
25:25they're about to do
25:29So I've come in
25:30this morning
25:30and there has been
25:31a development
25:37OK I think
25:38I've got him
25:40Stuart has received
25:41CCTV from a different
25:43camera
25:43that reveals
25:44a new sighting
25:47And that there
25:48is going to be
25:49our man
25:50and he's walking
25:51in the direction
25:53of the offence
25:54location
25:56Zeroing in
25:57on the suspect
25:58he makes
25:59a significant
25:59discovery
26:01Strange
26:02he seems to
26:02come from
26:03a wooded area
26:04so what he's
26:05done there
26:05I don't know
26:09I don't know
26:09why he would
26:10go in those woods
26:11He's said
26:12to have a knife
26:13so we need
26:14to get some officers
26:14to have a look
26:15in that wooded area
26:21He's going to
26:22dump something
26:23and he may have
26:24changed his clothing
26:25Is he waiting
26:26to pounce
26:26on someone
26:27right now
26:27Is that what
26:28I'm looking at
26:30Why is he going
26:31in this wooded area
26:31That's what we need
26:32to find out
26:36Officers are sent
26:37to search the woods
26:38for any items
26:39that may have been
26:40discarded by the
26:41suspect
26:41before or after
26:43the attack
26:45The CCTV footage
26:47of the suspect
26:48coming out
26:49has been taken
26:49from the camera
26:50over there
26:50which shows him
26:51entering this woodland
26:53at 3.30am
26:56He's in here
26:57and he's popped
26:58back out
26:58at the same entrance
26:59at 3.38
27:00So he may be
27:02coming in here
27:02actually
27:03to leave things
27:04in here
27:08We haven't been
27:09able to recover
27:10the knife
27:10So my hypothesis
27:12for there
27:12is that he's been
27:13taken with the offender
27:14when he's left
27:15Whether he's discarded
27:16then I don't know
27:18What's that purple thing
27:20I'm not looking
27:21at a full forensic
27:22examination
27:23of the scene
27:24but I want to know
27:25what's there
27:27Just a bag
27:29Thank you
27:31Doesn't look like
27:32anything obvious
27:33like a bag
27:33or anything
27:34does it
27:36There is no trace
27:37of a knife
27:37or any further clues
27:39as to what the man
27:40was doing there
27:56What I have
27:57is
27:57pyjama shorts
28:00They are
28:01child size
28:0311 to 12 years
28:06While detectives
28:08are no closer
28:09to identifying
28:09the offender
28:10clothing from the child
28:12is tested
28:13for any bodily fluids
28:14or cells
28:15which may reveal
28:16his DNA
28:19We've got to
28:20consider
28:20the possibility
28:21of any sort
28:22of touch DNA
28:23any cellular DNA
28:24that's been transferred
28:25from him to her
28:26but DNA
28:27is very sensitive
28:29It will degrade
28:29over a period
28:30of time
28:30There are concerns
28:32that we could
28:33lose forensic evidence
28:34so nothing's
28:35a guarantee
28:38There may be
28:39a chance
28:39of finding
28:40the offender's saliva
28:41after the child
28:43reported being licked
28:44during the assault
28:45For saliva
28:46what we're going
28:47to do
28:47is we're going
28:48to wet
28:48our amylase paper
28:50infused with starch
28:53Now
28:54I'm going
28:54to place it
28:55on the item
28:55and pat it
28:56So any saliva
28:58that is
28:58on the item
28:59will be transferred
29:01onto the paper
29:03Saliva can actually
29:04stay on clothing
29:05a lot longer
29:06than actually
29:06being present
29:07on skinfall
29:08and a lot of it
29:09is to do
29:09with the texture
29:10of material
29:10and fabric
29:11so we're holding
29:12out hope
29:13that we can still
29:13find the offender's
29:14DNA there
29:15This is iodine
29:17working solution
29:18This reacts
29:19with the starch
29:19in the paper
29:23Okay so
29:24what we have here
29:26is amylase
29:28positive areas
29:29which you can see
29:31here
29:35The area
29:36that has reacted
29:37positively
29:37is then cut out
29:39and matched back
29:40to the pyjamas
29:41Okay
29:42I'm going to place
29:44this on the item
29:45wall
29:46through the holes
29:47This shows
29:48that we have had
29:50a positive reaction
29:51for saliva
29:52in the crotch area
29:54of the victim's
29:55pyjama bottoms
29:57The sample
29:58will now be sent
29:59to a specialist lab
30:00to try and extract
30:02DNA that can be
30:03checked against
30:03known offenders
30:04on the police database
30:16Got all the CCTV footage
30:18from yesterday
30:20Stewart has been
30:22piecing together
30:22further doorbell footage
30:24in a bid to track
30:25the suspicious man
30:26after the attack
30:28took place
30:31He's just walking past
30:37Okay so this is
30:384.41 in the morning
30:42And that there
30:44is our suspect
30:46still looking
30:47exactly the same
30:50New images
30:51showing the suspect
30:52coming from
30:53the direction
30:53of the victim's house
30:55could provide
30:56the missing link
30:57That's a cul-de-sac
30:59He's going to appear
31:00there he is
31:00and there's not
31:01many houses up there
31:02so we now need
31:04to try and work out
31:05where that person lives
31:06And then all of a sudden
31:08all these
31:08gypsum pieces
31:09come together
31:11momentarily
31:12split second
31:15And this I think
31:16is the breakthrough
31:16that we need
31:17because this street
31:18is a cul-de-sac
31:18so the chance
31:19of this person
31:20lives in that street
31:24That there
31:25is our suspect
31:26that was 3.23
31:28so that's definitely
31:29the same person
31:31Stuart checks
31:32earlier footage
31:33and discovers
31:34the man leaving
31:35a house
31:35just half an hour
31:37before the attack
31:44Officers immediately
31:45head to the house
32:01They find a man
32:02who resembles
32:03the person
32:04seen on CCTV
32:06What was your name
32:07pal?
32:08Stephen Jeffery
32:09Stephen
32:09You're under arrest
32:10on suspicion
32:11of sexual assault
32:13I'll caution you
32:14that you don't need
32:14to say anything
32:15but it may harm
32:16your offence
32:17if you do not mention
32:17one question
32:18to someone you may
32:19later rely on in court
32:20I should have done
32:20I should have done
32:21when I tried
32:21that it should have
32:22worked
32:22if it had
32:26Alright
32:26just to remind you
32:27you're under caution
32:27Stephen
32:28alright
32:28I haven't got a mind
32:29anymore
32:30and it's just
32:31Okay
32:34Alright
32:35that's one in custody
32:42Alright
32:43out you pop pop
32:45Four days
32:46since the sexual assault
32:47the 33 year old
32:49suspect
32:49is brought into custody
32:57So I am authorising
32:58your detention
32:59as being necessary
32:59to secure
33:00and preserve evidence
33:01and to obtain evidence
33:02via question
33:02Stay up here
33:06Yeah
33:06Do you just need
33:06to stay up here
33:07though Stephen?
33:08I'm fine
33:09Do you just sit down?
33:19When we have a suspect
33:20that's brought into custody
33:21forensically
33:22there's quite a few things
33:23that we can try
33:24and gain from that really
33:25for example
33:25the clothing
33:26that the actual offender
33:27is wearing
33:28and also
33:28it's really important
33:29for intimate samples
33:30to be taken
33:31from the person in custody
33:35So I just need you
33:37to hold your penis
33:37out as far as you can
33:39for me
33:39and I'm going to swab it
33:41There is possibly
33:42a chance
33:43that we could get
33:43some sort of DNA evidence
33:45from her
33:45on him
33:46based on her account
33:51Hey that's all done
33:53You can pull your trousers
33:55back up now
33:56It may have been
33:57several days
33:58since the incident happened
33:59but even if they'd washed
34:01there could just be
34:02a small fragment
34:03of evidence there
34:06Detectives now
34:06have 24 hours
34:08to find evidence
34:08linking the suspect
34:10to the attack
34:16A fingertip search
34:17of his house
34:18gets underway
34:20I'm just going to
34:21brief you
34:21about what we're
34:22searching for
34:23clothing
34:24the path
34:25and the route
34:26that we believe
34:27the offender's taken
34:27is through like
34:28a muddy alleyway
34:30and garden
34:31so it's probably
34:32going to be caked up
34:33in mud
34:33digital devices
34:35phones
34:35tablets
34:36would be really
34:37helpful to the investigation
34:46We're almost playing catch up
34:47and the suspect
34:48has got
34:4924 hours plus
34:51on us
34:51and has had opportunity
34:52to think about
34:53what they're going to do
34:54after they've committed
34:55the offence
34:55you know
34:56are they going to be
34:56destroying evidence
34:57they're going to be
34:58hiding things
35:01We have a pair
35:01of black trainers
35:03with mud on
35:04Has any clothing
35:05been seized?
35:06Yes we have
35:06Doesn't matter
35:07OK
35:07So there's no
35:08clothing that matched
35:09any description
35:10I think we're after
35:11So Peter
35:12When we look at
35:13his circumstances
35:15he lives with his parents
35:16in a normal family home
35:17looking at him
35:19he could present
35:19as just being
35:21a normal member
35:22of the public
35:23In the kitchen
35:24officers also
35:26retrieve
35:26a small
35:27foldable knife
35:29matches the description
35:30of our victim
35:31We'll seize that
35:32and then that'll
35:33probably be put
35:33to the suspect
35:34in interview
35:35so it's a great find
35:36Awesome
35:49I'll start by
35:49thanking everyone
35:50for the hard work
35:51today
35:51Our suspect is
35:52in custody now
35:53Will you just give us
35:55a little brief
35:55of where we are
35:56with our victim?
35:57Yeah so
35:59victim and family
36:01were updated
36:01yesterday
36:02in relation to
36:03the arrest
36:04of the suspect
36:05Obviously mum
36:06was understandably
36:07emotional
36:08Mum has stated
36:09that her daughter
36:11isn't sleeping
36:12Mum has to sleep
36:13in the room
36:13with her
36:14because she's
36:15just petrified
36:15but hopefully
36:16with the suspect
36:18in custody
36:19it can offer
36:19some sort of comfort
36:22So let's see
36:23what he's got to say
36:24if he's going to say
36:34anything
36:34It's all counting on
36:35this interview really
36:36to try and get the suspect
36:38to prove or disprove
36:40their involvement
36:40in an offence
36:44We need to try
36:45and place him
36:46in that bedroom
36:49So you was arrested
36:50for sexual assault
36:52of a child
36:52under 13 years
36:54so firstly
36:55you're guilty
36:56of that offence
36:57So I've provided
36:58my client
36:58to answer no comment
36:59to all questions
37:00during the interview
37:01Stephen
37:02obviously you've had
37:03your advice
37:04off your solicitor
37:05it is advice
37:06so it is completely
37:07your choice
37:08so if you do choose
37:09that you want
37:10to answer the questions
37:11that is your choice
37:12OK
37:13So I just need
37:14to ask you
37:15just about
37:15some significant
37:16comments that were made
37:17after you was arrested
37:19So at 16.54 hours
37:21so after you was cautioned
37:23you said
37:24I should have died
37:25when I tried
37:26it should have worked
37:28I haven't got a mind
37:30anymore
37:30Can you tell me
37:31about that please
37:33My advice is no comment
37:39Well no comment
37:40to most
37:42it's just
37:46it's got nothing
37:47to do with any
37:48allegations
37:49this is just
37:49in me
37:50I should have died
37:55My advice is no comment
37:56to all questions
37:59that's my advice
38:10The victim
38:11is 11 years old
38:12she has described
38:13in detail to me
38:14what's happened
38:15to her
38:17She states
38:18that she's woke up
38:19to a man
38:20kneeling
38:21next to her
38:23She said
38:24that then you've
38:24put your hand
38:25over her mouth
38:26Tell me about that
38:31She's saying
38:31that she was
38:32shown a knife
38:33and she describes
38:34it as
38:34it was like
38:35a pocket knife
38:36and she was told
38:37that she wasn't
38:38allowed to tell
38:39anybody
38:39well this man
38:40has said
38:41that he will
38:41kill everyone
38:42in that house
38:43Tell me about that
38:50Is that fair
38:51that an 11 year old
38:52child should be
38:52scared in their
38:53own home
38:55How does that
38:56make you feel?
38:59The suspect
39:00is very agitated
39:04he's fidgeting
39:05a lot
39:05he
39:07just looks like
39:09that he is
39:09hiding something
39:11Did you use
39:12that knife
39:13to threaten her?
39:16Was it a pocket knife?
39:19Can you tell me
39:20the colour of the pocket knife?
39:22Was it blue?
39:23No coming
39:23Do you own a blue pocket?
39:25No coming
39:31Where did you get the knife from?
39:32Stephen
39:33No coming
39:37No coming
39:37No coming
39:38No coming
39:38Stephen
39:39No coming
39:40No coming
39:41You're going to hurt your head
39:42Stephen
39:43No coming
39:44Please
39:44Okay
39:45Okay
39:45Stephen
39:46Would you like a break?
39:49Stephen
39:49Stephen
39:50Stephen
39:56He wants the interview to end
39:58and he wants me to stop asking him the questions
40:00so it can just go away
40:03I do believe that it's incriminating
40:05so I will try and probe as much as possible
40:08to get the truth
40:12No comment
40:14He's probably done
40:15what we said he would do
40:16admitted it all to his solicitor
40:19and then his solicitor told him to go no comment
40:21because all he's going to do is incriminate himself further isn't he
40:39With the suspect refusing to talk
40:41and the custody clock ticking
40:43the focus moves to searching his phone
40:46for anything that connects him to the crime
40:52We've got specialist software that we can use
40:54and we'll take the media from our extraction
40:56and place it into it
40:58we can quickly run through
40:59and see what's on the handset
41:02Digital investigator Jack McCauley
41:04manages a full download of data from the device
41:09I'm just going through some of the web history here
41:11and there is 33,000 searches on here
41:17You get such an insight into someone's life
41:19looking at their mobile
41:21You don't just see the crime that's happening in front of you
41:24You see the person
41:25You see their personality develop
41:27and what they've been searching for
41:28You can see those silly questions that we all ask
41:31or do some shopping online or whatever
41:35So I can see he's got Snapchat installed
41:38Instagram installed
41:39all of these apps you can communicate across
41:42Was this a targeted sort of crime
41:44or was this just by chance
41:47I want to have a look to see
41:48if there's any link to that victim
41:51Does he have an interest in children?
41:53Can I prove that?
41:59So just going through the media on the device
42:02there's images that are children at the beach
42:07No one would look at this and go
42:09This is a normal amount to have
42:11It's children that he doesn't know
42:14It gives you a mindset of that person behind the scenes
42:17and that's exactly what your digital devices do
42:20He's got them in such quantity
42:28We found screen recordings which look to be of webcam sessions for adult content
42:34where the users can chat to the model
42:39and there's a chat here which is saying
42:41Hi, it's Steve
42:43Can you please show me your belly button?
42:45Can you please show me your belly button up close?
42:47Can you press your belly button and scream belly button?
42:53We've got belly button searches
42:55which then also relate to pornographic websites
42:58on the next search he's searching for children's belly buttons
43:02pornography which includes belly buttons
43:04so he's been looking for these images
43:06searching for these terms
43:08It's quite disturbing
43:10searches for people who are sleeping, passed out, defenceless
43:14sort of those vulnerable people
43:18The internet is generally just the wild west
43:20so people will try and hide their search history
43:22Part of forensics is going through
43:24the additional data
43:26the stuff that sits behind it all
43:28It's all logged
43:29It's all tracked in the back end
43:30and that's what we view
43:32We're not viewing it as the user sees it
43:35So I've just come across my first illegal image
43:38This is child sexual abuse material
43:40or CSAM
43:41So we split the illegal material into different categories
43:44Currently found
43:45one cat B
43:46which is sexual activity with a child
43:49and five cat Cs
43:51which is sexual posing as a child
43:55Age in between the ages of four to ten
43:59It's horrific
44:02But unfortunately in terms of this case
44:04there's nothing here that relates directly to the crime
44:07There's no evidence that he was there
44:09or anything along those lines
44:11However, there's illegal files
44:13There's searches that are starting to look indicative to the crime
44:16and we're painting this picture of his mindset
44:23Although there is now enough to charge the suspect
44:26with possession of illegal images
44:28If you just go in that room here to the left
44:32There is still no forensic proof
44:34that he committed the sexual assault
44:38Your mobile phone
44:39I believe that he had this
44:41when he was arrested
44:43Is this your mobile phone?
44:45Yes
44:46Okay
44:47So on this mobile phone
44:50there's been extensive sexualised search history around belly buttons
44:57Tell me about that
45:00Do you have a sexual infraction to people's belly buttons?
45:08Yes
45:09There's also searches for sleep attack pornography
45:15Yes
45:16And also there was searches for raid
45:20And is that something that gets sexual gratification from?
45:26Yes
45:28So we've got a map here
45:31We believe that you have entered
45:33and gained access to the back of these properties
45:36Can you tell me if that is the route you've took?
45:41Do you know that area well?
45:46We don't want this offender to be walking out from custody
45:49The whole job is riding under forensic evidence
45:52to prove that he has actually entered that address
45:55and he is the person that's actually committed that crime
46:05In a specialist forensic lab
46:08The complex process of trying to extract DNA from saliva found
46:13on the child's pyjama shorts is underway
46:20But this can take up to 48 hours to complete
46:32With no guarantee they can extract a full DNA profile from the shorts
46:37Rachel meets with Neil to plan their best next steps
46:44So it's pretty disturbing what's been found on his phone to be fair
46:49Many, many searches around paralysed or sleeping women
46:53So all pretty, pretty disturbing
46:55Pretty disturbing, pretty horrific
46:57So, you know, definitely we've got a sexual interest in children
47:02and belly button fetishes
47:03Obviously the swabs that were taken from our victim's stomach
47:06If he has sort of licked around or put his mouth on a stomach area
47:10That's obviously a priority submission
47:12So allowing for DNA profile, are you?
47:15Yeah, yeah, so hopefully we'll get a result as soon as possible
47:17We've established that the offender has a fetish about belly buttons
47:23Because of the sexual nature of the incident
47:25We're looking for any traces of either his saliva or his semen
47:30that could be present on the victim herself, on her stomach area
47:37We're holding out so much hope now
47:39that this is going to be the area that's going to give us the breakthrough
47:45I have got swabs to examine today
47:54Forensic samples taken from the victim's stomach area
47:57are now prioritised for testing
48:01I'm going to be teasing the fibres apart of the swab heads
48:06to loosen up any of the cellular material that is in these swabs
48:10So next we're going to add the solution
48:19And then we're going to put this into the centrifuge
48:22and we're going to spin it down so that we get a pellet
48:28The centrifuge separates heavier particles
48:31such as semen to make it easier to detect
48:37So this will contain themselves
48:41Now what we have to do is stain the stain that we've made
48:44We're going to use this using Christmas tree staining
48:47It stains any sperm heads present in the sample
48:50A pink colour
49:10So what we can see
49:14down the microscope is these little pink heads here
49:19are the semen heads
49:22It's a very good result for us
49:24but we can't automatically assume that we're going to get a DNA hit from that
49:28It depends on the amount of sperm heads that are left behind
49:31So we won't know until we actually send off the samples from that
49:34to establish whether it gives us a full DNA profile or not
49:39The sample is urgently sent for DNA analysis
49:42to see if it matches the suspect in custody
49:55I just wanted to give you a phone call
49:56I'll email you over the timeline
49:58We're just looking for an extension but his time is up in four hours
50:04So it would take us to half one in the morning
50:07With the custody clock running out
50:10detectives request a 12-hour extension
50:12to keep the suspect behind bars
50:14while they wait for the forensic results
50:17He might come out with reasonable lines of inquiry
50:19that we need to do while he's in custody
50:21We are looking at going as a red case to CPS
50:26Yes
50:27OK, that's fine
50:28I'll do that now
50:30All right, thanks boss
50:31Bye
50:33There is always that risk that we are going to have to
50:36release our suspects from custody
50:38that we can't gather all the evidence
50:39within the custody time limit that we have
50:42That is frustrating if we have to release him
50:45So we need a real breakthrough
50:47forensically as soon as possible
50:56The results of the DNA extraction process
50:59on both the saliva and semen samples
51:02have come through
51:03and are fast-tracked for analysis
51:05by senior reporter Charlotte Hargreaves
51:09In effect, a DNA profile is just a string of numbers
51:12but they are known to differ between individuals
51:15So we look at 16 areas
51:18and from that sample we obtain the full DNA profile
51:21What you can see is that the major DNA profile
51:25which is all of the very large pieces of DNA
51:28that indicates that it's from a female
51:30and we know that this profile matches that of the injured party herself
51:35What we are interested in is these smaller bits of DNA here
51:41Charlotte compares the DNA profile
51:43to find out if it matches to that of the suspect
51:48These numbers basically comprise this individual's DNA profile
51:55So this is a number 14
51:57which obviously when I go to the semen profile
52:01that matches that same number 14
52:03we've got some smaller areas here
52:0614, 15 and then a 17 and then a 12 over here
52:09We come back to this
52:11and you can see that these 14, 15, the 17
52:15they match the person whose profile we've obtained from the semen
52:19It being a billion times more likely
52:21that the DNA originated from that person
52:24rather than some of the unrelated to them
52:29Hello, Rachel Hughes, crime scene coordinators
52:31Can I help? Hello, just to give you another update
52:34in relation to this case
52:36OK, yeah
52:37OK, so comparing it currently to the DNA profile
52:40that we've got from the semen on the stomach swabs
52:42OK, yeah
52:43And saliva
52:45And I can see that that profile, you know, does match
52:48So does the DNA match to the person that we have in custody?
52:53Yes
52:55We've had some really good news through
52:56His DNA's been found on the victim, on her clothing
53:00How can you explain that?
53:02There's no explanation for that
53:03It absolutely confirms that he was the offender in this case
53:08So your semen has been bound on the victim's stomach
53:12How can you account for that?
53:15I can't
53:17I believe that the fact may be due to you
53:21taking part in the commission of that offence
53:24I just want the truth
53:31I don't know what you've advised, but
53:33I have to say one thing
53:37This is exactly why my mind needs to be shut down
53:41It's not just
53:44One age, one
53:47Sexual
53:48It's
53:49A massive orbit
53:57I'm sorry, but
53:59So from what you're saying to me there
54:01was that
54:01it doesn't matter what it is
54:03you get sexual gratification
54:08My mind seems to be a labyrinth
54:11and I haven't got the scheme
54:15Now I'm sorry, but can we stop for safety?
54:17I need to toilet and to be sick
54:18OK
54:19Oh yeah
54:20Interview paused at 14.30
54:28The final decision on whether to charge the suspect
54:32rests with the Crown Prosecution Service
54:34Yeah
54:35We've got his semen on her stomach
54:38There's no reasonable explanation for that
54:41Yeah, that's perfect
54:43Just get him charged, yeah
54:45Lovely, bye
54:48That's a really good result
54:49That's a fantastic result
54:50We've got a really strong case now
54:53because we've got our offender
54:55His DNA is confirmed
54:57It's a match
54:58There's nothing better
54:59than being able to tell your family
55:01that we've caught him
55:02We've absolutely got him nailed on for this
55:05because we've got the forensics, etc
55:07and we've got our victim on board and everything
55:10The victim throughout this has been so unbelievably brave
55:13She's shown immense strength in actually telling somebody about what happened
55:18given the threats that the suspect made to her family
55:22It's a really great feeling to know that he's going to get charged with this horrific offence
55:26against this really young girl
55:31Less than a week after the 11-year-old child awoke to find an intruder in her room
55:36Her suspected attacker is taken to be charged
55:41So you're charged with following offences
55:42knowing or recklessly trespassed on premises
55:45with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence on those premises
55:50Your second one
55:51intentionally penetrated the vagina of a girl under the age of 13
55:55with a part of your body, namely fingers
55:57and that penetration was sexual
55:59Your next one
56:00intentionally touched a girl under the age of 13
56:02and the touching was sexual
56:04and namely touching and masturbating your penis
56:06Contra section 8-1 and 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
56:11So those are charges they've come back with
56:13Can I ask you for you to sign on there to say I've read those charges out to you?
56:21I'm very pleased that we've successfully secured a charge
56:25I think it's an amazing result
56:27that we get a paedophile off the streets
56:30OK Stephen
56:32Because of the nature of the offences
56:34you're not going to be getting bail
56:35you will be staying with us overnight
56:37you'll be collected in the morning
56:38and taken to court
56:39All right?
56:40Is there any questions you need to ask me?
56:42No
56:43No
56:43OK
56:45There's no way I don't feel
56:46that we could have secured
56:47this kind of positive result
56:49against such an individual
56:50without the forensic evidence that we've got
56:52OK Stephen
56:53if you want to come with me
56:54OK?
56:55So for us to get him off the streets
56:57a predator like that behind bars
56:59that's the result we're after
57:18As a mother
57:18this kind of job does stay with you unfortunately
57:21but what it does do
57:23it kind of makes you more aware
57:24that we've made a difference here
57:27Let's not forget how crucial
57:28the victim's been in all of this
57:30She's been brave
57:31she's provided all those forensic samples for us
57:33She's been so strong in all of this
57:36your heart just goes out to the victim
57:37and her family
57:38so for him to be behind bars
57:40is a relief for everyone
57:54Every contact leaves a trace
57:56that forensic experts can follow
57:59Explore it for yourself
58:00with the Open University's
58:01new interactive case simulator
58:04Scan the QR code on screen
58:06or visit connect.open.ac.uk
58:09forward slash real CSI
58:11and subscribe to our channel
58:41You
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