A serial sex offender has been found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman.

Peter Neild was convicted of the charge following a three-day trial at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 20 December 2023.

The 52-year-old, who is already serving an indefinite prison sentence for previous sexual offences, is due to be sentenced for this case on 29 January 2024.

During the trial, the court was told how in 1994 the victim and Neild were both part of a group who travelled to the Lake District as part of a Prince's Trust course being delivered by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The victim told the jury how she and Neild initially got along well and there seemed to be no issues.

On the second night of the trip, she and Neild had been eating and chatting in the main communal area with the rest of the participants.

Gradually, all the other people left the room, leaving just Neild and the victim alone.

Without warning, Neild jumped on the victim and removed her trousers, before going on to rape her, despite multiple requests for him to stop.

At the time of the incident, the victim felt unable to report the offence. But in May 2022 she decided to come forward and an investigation was launched.

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