Sick rapist who attacked victim pretended to be 'ghost' which had possessed her

20 November 2023 , 11:39

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Craig Meredith was jailed for 30 years (Image: West Yorkshire Police / SWNS)

A predatory sex offender who committed a catalogue of sick crimes against children and vulnerable adults over more than 30 years is finally behind bars.

Evil Craig Meredith's final rape victim said he even claimed he was a ghost which had possessed her in a sick plot to attack her. His crimes spanned more than 30 years with his offending starting when he was just 14 years old in 1987 and continued until 2019.

The 50 year old was found guilty of 38 offences, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching after a trial at Leeds Crown Court. West Yorkshire Police say Meredith manipulated young children and adults with learning difficulties in order to carry out his vile crimes. He left his victims with significant trauma and mental health issues.

On Friday, Meredith, of Middleton Road in Morley, was made the subject of a 33-year sentence made up of 30 years in custody and a three-year extended licence period. Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas told Leeds Live: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.

“He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment. This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims.

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'Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice. We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.”

Kelly-Ann Mills