Man from Southport sentenced to 23 years in prison for historic child sex offences

A man from Southport has been jailed for 23 years for historic sexual offences against a child.

Michael McGrane, 61, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Monday 13 November, after being found guilty of rape and indecent assault.

Detectives carried out the investigation after receiving a report in January 2023 of sex offences against a child which spanned a several-year period.

Detective Inspector Rob Pritchard said: “This sentence follows an investigation to bring McGrane before the courts so that he pays for utterly depraved actions.

“Thanks to the determination and bravery of his victim, McGrane will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing by reporting McGrane’s heinous crime to us.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”