Man, 47, found guilty of trafficking 'vulnerable' teenage girl to Jersey and raping her

ITV Channel's Emma Volney has all the details...

A man has been found guilty of trafficking a "vulnerable" teenage girl to Jersey and raping her.

Shay John Edward Bester, 47, was found guilty of seven offences following a six-day trial at the island's Royal Court.

He is due to be sentenced later in the year.

Officers say Bester met the girl - who was 17 at the time of the offence in November 2021 - online when he groomed her and arranged for her to come and stay with him in Jersey.

After several days, the victim was found at Bester's home where she told officers she had been sexually and physically assaulted.

Jersey Police arrested him and seized "a number" of his electronic devices.

  • Inspector Paul Ryan from Jersey Police said Bester showed no remorse for his crimes

The victim was seen at Dewberry House - the island's Sexual Assault Referral Centre - before returning to her family in the UK.

Officers say that while under investigation, Bester obtained a new mobile phone and used it to text his victim pretending to be a police officer.

Appearing in Jersey's Royal Court on Wednesday 3 May, Bester was found guilty of one trafficking offence, two counts of rape, one count of sexual penetration without consent and three counts of assault. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a police officer.

Detective Constable Charles Vibert said: "Shay Bester is a sexual predator, who targeted a vulnerable young female, in order that he could fulfil his own sexual fantasies.

"The journey that the victim has been through in the lead-up to this trial, has been challenging, and our thoughts go out to her and her family.

"I hope that today’s guilty verdict will offer them a degree of closure which will help them to rebuild their lives."

If you - or someone you know - needs support about rape and sexual assault, help is available in Jersey from:

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