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Two men have been sent to prison today (Friday October 6) for child sexual exploitation crimes in the Banbury area.

Following a five-week trial at Oxford Crown Court, the two men were sentenced for crimes that took place in the Banbury area in the early 2000s.

Samuel Osei-Bempong, aged 50, of Middle Barton, was found guilty of two counts of rape and found not guilty of a further two counts of rape during the trial yesterday. He was sentenced to a total of ten years in prison.

Bashiru Umar, aged 53, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of one count of indecent assault against a child under 16 at the same trial and was sentenced to three years in jail.

Samuel Osei-Bempong (L) and Bashir Umar (R) have been sent to prison today for historic child sexual exploitation crimes.

The crimes were first reported to Thames Valley Police in 2017, and following a long investigation, Osei-Bempong was charged on October 1 2021 and Umar was charged on April 4 this year.

Detective Inspector Nick Hind, of the Complex CSE Investigation Team, said: “I am grateful to the victims in this case for having the courage to share their stories and for the careful consideration of the evidence by the jury over the last five weeks.

“Osei-Bempong and Umar now start lengthy sentences for abhorrent crimes they committed against children more than 20 years ago, which they undoubtedly thought that they would never face justice for.

“Thames Valley Police is committed to tackling child sexual exploitation and will take all reports seriously, both recent and non-recent, and safeguarding victims of these offences is an absolute priority for us.

“It is never too late to make a report. You will always be listened to and treated with utmost respect and dignity; your welfare will be a priority.”

If you’ve witnessed or been the victim of a crime, call Thames Valley Police on 999 if you feel yourself or someone else is in danger, or use the 24-hour number 101 for non-emergency enquiries.

Alternatively, crime reports can be made online at https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

If you do not wish to speak to police you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

Two men jailed for child sexual exploitation crimes in the Banbury area