Rapist jailed for seven years and two months

Reece Austick (03/09/1997) of Maple Close, Salford, pleaded guilty to rape and has been sentenced to seven years and two months at Manchester Crown Square Court yesterday (Wednesday 20 November 2024). Additionally, he has been ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

The victim was aged 14 at the time of her abuse.

Austick added his victim on Facebook in November 2018 and was speaking to them online for two or three weeks prior to arranging to meet. Austick said he was aged 15, but when she was travelling on the train to meet him, he text his victim to say that he was actually 17. In actual fact, he was 21.

He knew his victim was 14 as she had told him and it displayed her age on her profile.

Over the course of two days at Austick’s address, he sexually abused his victim by forcing her to have sex with him.

Police later arrested Austick on suspicion of rape. The victim was safeguarded and supported by specialist officers.

Detective Sergeant James Walsh, of our Criminal Investigation Department in Salford, said: “Firstly I want to thank the victim for coming forward and reporting this awful ordeal to us.

“Austick was calculated in his offending – he approached his victim on social media and knew she was a teenager. He then subjected her to appalling sexual abuse over the course of two days.

“He is a dangerous individual who has intentionally targeted a child victim and subjected her to horrendous abuse. I welcome his lengthy sentence.”
“Due to the complexities in this case, it has taken a long time to get to this point, and I want to thank the victim for her patience, courage and perseverance.”

Support Available

If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape or sexual assault, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You can also report information and crimes on our website (www.gmp.police.uk).

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are also lots of organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester and nationally that can help and provide support for you.

For more information and to find the support services available to you, please visit our support pages.

Support for Rape and Sexual Assault:

St. Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre - Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

We Are Survivors Manchester - provides specialist trauma informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape, or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.