A holidaymaker who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in Cornwall has been jailed.

It was reported that Darren Oldham, 35, attacked the victim shortly after meeting her and a friend for the first time at a beach near Hayle.

Oldham, who was visiting the area from his home in Oxfordshire, gave the girls alcohol and cannabis.

He sexually assaulted the heavily intoxicated victim immediately after finding himself alone with her, before later fleeing the scene.

The offence was reported to police the following day and Oldham was located and arrested by officers hours later. 

Oldham, of Middleton Road, Banbury, was also convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage child in South Yorkshire in a separate attack.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on a female by penetration.

Oldham was sentenced to nine years in prison, with an extended licence period of three years, by a judge at Sheffield Crown Court. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.  

Detective Constable Rhys Salisbury, of West Cornwall CID, said: “Darren Oldham took advantage of the victims in both of these cases and will now rightly serve a considerable amount of time in prison.

“Bringing this offender to justice would not have happened without the bravery of both victims who came forward and reported such traumatic crimes to us. I would like to thank and commend them for their courage. 

“Oldham was arrested within 24 hours of the incident in Hayle.

“Violence and predatory behaviour against women and girls is quite simply unacceptable and we will not tolerate it.

“We will do all that we can to seek out offenders and bring them to justice.

“We want to hear from anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault; we will listen to you and support you.”

Oldham was sentenced on Wednesday, February 7.

Support available:

If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape or sexual assault, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.

You can also report information and crimes on the Devon & Cornwall Police website.

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are lots of organisations and support agencies available across Devon and Cornwall that can help provide support.

For more information on rape and serious sexual assault and the support services available, please visit our support pages by clicking here.

Advice and support is also offered by our partner agencies: