Bath girl rapist jailed for life

Voisey has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child

A man has been sentenced to three life terms for abducting a six-year-old girl from her bath and raping her.

Peter Voisey, 35, snatched the girl from the bathroom of her North Tyneside home in December 2005, sexually abused her, then abandoned her in an alleyway.

He will serve his sentences concurrently, and will spend a minimum of 10 years in prison, said the judge at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday.

The victim's family said it was happy Voisey was no longer a threat.

It may be that you will never be released, but that is a matter for others. Judge David Hodson, Newcastle Crown Court

After the hearing, they said: "We are very glad it's all over and happy that Voisey won't be released until he is considered to no longer be a danger to anyone but especially children."

The defendant was found guilty of abduction, rape and sexual assault on 20 October.

During the three-week trial, the jury heard how he had a previous conviction for molesting a 12-year-old girl in the changing rooms of a leisure centre in Macclesfield, Cheshire, in July 2001.

On Friday, Judge David Hodson warned Voisey, of Renwick Road, Blyth, that he might never be released.

He said: "I am in no doubt you are a dangerous, predatory male.

"You will only be released into the community when the parole board considers it safe for you to be released. It may be that you will never be released, but that is a matter for others."

The victim was snatched from her home's ground-floor bathroom

Voisey grabbed the girl from her ground-floor bathroom in Willington Quay on 27 December 2005.

He put his hand over her mouth and told her that if she made a noise she would never see her family again.

Repeating the threats, he sexually assaulted her several times, then abandoned the six-year-old naked and screaming in the snow-covered alley.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Ch Insp Jim Napier, who led the investigation, said: "There is no doubt that Voisey is a serial sexual predator who preys on young and vulnerable children.

"Today's sentence should ensure he is not a danger to children for many years to come. The victim's family were also in court today and they tell me they are delighted at the length of this sentence.

"I must also pay tribute to the victim of this offence, who, despite her age and the trauma she had suffered, proved herself to be a first class witness."