Rotherham limousine boss abused girls as young as 12 in back of vehicles

A limousine company boss has been found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing girls as young as 12 in the back of his vehicles. David Saynor, who lived in Rotherham at the time, carried out a string of offences against girls in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

He would take his victims out for rides, ply them with alcohol, encourage them to undress or dance for him, and in some cases assault them. His victims were aged between 12 and 18. They were sometimes collected from their school or care homes in his stretch Hummer, taken to or from discos in Rotherham, or for rides around the area. They would be given money for cigarettes, food and drugs. Saynor actively encouraged them to call him if they needed picking up from somewhere, and often told them to bring friends.

On one occasion he picked up a girl aged 12 or 13 and took her back to the yard where he stored his limousines. He went on to rape her in an office building. One victim was abused repeatedly over a period of two years when she was 14 and 15 years old. She recalled being picked up in her school uniform with groups of other girls, given alcohol, cigarettes and money.

Saynor raped her in the back of the limousine. Afterwards, he threatened to hurt her family if she told anyone. Another victim, who was 16 and in care at the time, was initially given a job by Saynor handing out leaflets for his company.

On one occasion she was driven to an area of Sheffield she didn't know and forced to perform a sexual act on him or be left there, miles from home and with no means of getting back.

Saynor, now 76, was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020 after numerous victims identified him as part of Operation Stovewood, which is looking at allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. Following a five-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court he was found guilty of 15 charges relating to eight victims.

He will be sentenced on 15 August. Stuart Cobb from the NCA said: "[Saynor] was a manipulative predator who purposefully sought out those who were vulnerable or from troubled backgrounds, giving them gifts of money or alcohol to gain their trust. "But this would often turn to intimidation and threats when girls went against his wishes. "It took great courage from the victims in this case to come forward and tell their stories, and I pay tribute to them for doing so," he said.

"I hope today's convictions demonstrate our determination to get justice for them, even after so many years." The conviction of David Saynor means 34 people have now been convicted of offences following investigations during Operation Stovewood. It remains the single largest investigation of its kind in the UK, with more than 1,150 potential victims identified. Another 50 investigations are currently ongoing.

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