Latest news with #AlexStokes
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Sacked Latitude steward who pretended to be festival security guard is jailed for sex with 15-year-old girl after plying her with alcohol
A man who pretended to be a security guard at a music festival has been jailed after plying a 15-year-old girl with alcohol before having sex with the teenager. Alex Stokes, 32, had been working at Latitude Festival in Henham Park, Suffolk, as a steward before he encountered the girl and a friend. He told them he was a security guard, but in truth he had been dismissed earlier that weekend from his role as a steward. The two girls told him they were both 15 and that they had been drinking alcohol during the incident on July 23, 2022. Stokes was jailed for 42 months at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday (July 11), having been convicted of having penetrative sex with a 15-year-old. The court heard Stokes spent time with the victim and her friend in one of the music tents, where he provided them with more alcohol, they said. When they moved outside the tent, Stokes had sex with the victim. The two friends managed to get away from him by saying they needed to use the toilets. A festival-goer spotted them in a state of distress, with the victim disclosing what had happened. After they got to the welfare tent, the festival's safeguarding lead called the police. Stokes should have surrendered his pass and not re-entered the site after his dismissal as a steward. He was also found not guilty of rape of the victim and sexual assault against a second person. Stokes, formerly of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was also made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Detective Constable Sam Jones said: 'Alex Stokes took advantage of a young girl, who was almost half his age at the time of the offence and who had told him she was just 15 - having only turned 15 a matter of days before. 'He deliberately attempted to gain the trust of the victim and her friend by claiming to be a security guard and the fact that he continued to provide them with alcohol, demonstrates clear predatory behaviour towards a vulnerable teenage girl. 'I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her friend for their bravery in working with us to secure this conviction. 'This incident will no doubt have had a huge impact on them at such a young age, but I hope Stokes' conviction will enable them both to move forward with their lives.'
BBC News
11-07-2025
- BBC News
Latitude Festival steward jailed for sex with 15-year-old girl
A man who had sex with a 15-year-old girl after "unlawfully" gaining access to a festival at which he had been working has been jailed for more than three Stokes, 32, was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15 at the Latitude festival in Suffolk in July fprmerly of Burns Road in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, committed the offence after being dismissed from working as a Ipswich Crown Court judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley took into consideration Stokes's "mental health conditions" as she sentenced him to 42 months in prison. "You took advantage of someone who was almost half your age and under the influence of alcohol, so more vulnerable to your advances," the judge said. The trial, which concluded in May, heard the victim and her friend started speaking to Stokes after believing he was a security two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been drinking alcohol and said they told the defendant they were both was also heard that Stokes, who was 29 at the time, had told the two girls that "he was looking after celebrities" before dancing with victim, who attended the festival with her family, claimed Stokes provided them with more drinks before the two had sex close to one of the music was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with the victim, but was cleared of rape and non-penetrative sexual activity of a girl and sexual assault. 'Unlawfully' During the sentencing hearing, the court was told Stokes, who has Tourette's syndrome, had been dismissed from his steward role sometime into his should have surrendered his pass and refrained from returning to the site, at Henham Park near Southwold, but he did not, and ultimately regained access to the festival."He was there unlawfully," the prosecution judge, however, did not address this during her closing remarks. Stokes was arrested on 27 July 2022 and initially denied the sexual activity before eventually admitting the pair had sex but claimed he thought she was said he had lied in his first police interview because he was "scared"."Both girls had been looking forward to having a fun-filled time, and other witnesses said they looked as if they were 16 to 18 years old," said the judge."But you engaged in sexual intercourse with a girl who was not old enough to do that."The victim was [left] very embarrassed and was described as distraught, and I have no doubt it would have affected her confidence and trust in men, and her self-belief." 'I'm sorry' Stokes's partner, his mother and father, and his father's partner were present in court, and he said "I'm sorry" to them after the sentence was must now sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life and any contact with children under 16 must be supervised by a parent or was told it was likely he would be required to serve half of his jail festival has been contacted for comment. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Latitude Festival steward had sex with child
A man has been found guilty of having sex with a 15-year-old girl while he was working as a steward at a music Stokes was a steward at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk in July 32-year-old, formerly of Burns Road in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and is due to be sentenced on 11 July at Ipswich Crown Court. Summing up the evidence heard across the trial, judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said the victim described how she and a friend started speaking to teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they believed he was a security had been drinking alcohol, she said, and she told the defendant they were both 15. She claimed he provided them with more victim said the two had sex close to one of the music was arrested on 27 July 2022 and he said he lied in his first police interview - when he denied the sexual activity - because he was "scared".He eventually admitted the pair had sex, but claimed he thought she was older. Judge Talbot-Hadley said there was a "likely custodial starting point" for his he was convicted of one offence, he was found not guilty of rape, non-penetrative sexual activity of a girl and sexual wearing a checked suit in the dock, gasped as these not guilty verdicts were was released on bail and must report to a local police station where he was staying, which is in Wales. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of raping teen at Latitude Festival
The jury at the trial of a man accused of raping a teenager at a music festival have retired to consider their verdict. Alex Stokes, 32, of Burns Road, Wellingborough, denies raping or engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity and the sexual assault of another 15-year-old girl. Ipswich Crown Court heard that Mr Stokes had been working as a steward at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk in 2022. His defence barrister argued that whilst the defendant did have consensual sex with one of the girls, he did not believe she was 15. While summing up the evidence heard across the trial, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said that one of the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she and a friend had been at the festival in July 2022 where they started speaking to Mr Stokes. The teenager said they believed Mr Stokes was a security guard. The girl said they had been drinking alcohol and told the defendant they were both 15, she said he provided them with more drinks. She said after kissing Mr Stokes he then asked her to sit on him and he penetrated her, she said it was in a public place and he told her not to get up or security would see and she would be kicked out of the festival. The court heard that whilst this was happening Mr Stokes had asked the girl to bring her friend closer, he is then alleged to have sexually assaulted the other teenager. Mr Stokes denied that incident happened with the second girl and said the girls asked him to guess their ages and he said 18 and 19. He said he was not corrected by them and was not told they were 15. He was arrested on 27 July 2022 and admits initially lying in his first police interview by saying he had not had sex with one of the girls, he said he lied because he was "scared". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of raping teen at Latitude Festival
The jury at the trial of a man accused of raping a teenager at a music festival have retired to consider their verdict. Alex Stokes, 32, of Burns Road, Wellingborough, denies raping or engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity and the sexual assault of another 15-year-old girl. Ipswich Crown Court heard that Mr Stokes had been working as a steward at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk in 2022. His defence barrister argued that whilst the defendant did have consensual sex with one of the girls, he did not believe she was 15. While summing up the evidence heard across the trial, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley said that one of the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she and a friend had been at the festival in July 2022 where they started speaking to Mr Stokes. The teenager said they believed Mr Stokes was a security guard. The girl said they had been drinking alcohol and told the defendant they were both 15, she said he provided them with more drinks. She said after kissing Mr Stokes he then asked her to sit on him and he penetrated her, she said it was in a public place and he told her not to get up or security would see and she would be kicked out of the festival. The court heard that whilst this was happening Mr Stokes had asked the girl to bring her friend closer, he is then alleged to have sexually assaulted the other teenager. Mr Stokes denied that incident happened with the second girl and said the girls asked him to guess their ages and he said 18 and 19. He said he was not corrected by them and was not told they were 15. He was arrested on 27 July 2022 and admits initially lying in his first police interview by saying he had not had sex with one of the girls, he said he lied because he was "scared". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
