A 27-year-old man who sexually abused two children more than 10 years ago has been jailed.
In 2013 Connor Parsons was 14 years old when he committed sexual offences against two six-year-old girls in a village in Gloucestershire.
This included him exposing his penis to both of the children, and him trying to persuade and force one of the girls to perform oral sex on him.
He also sexually assaulted both of the children by touching their bodies and kissing one of them at an age when they could not consent.
Years later in 2022, both victims separately disclosed to professionals at their schools about what Parsons had done to them, and police were informed.
In 2019, when Parsons was 21, he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl. He had met the victim in a park in Cirencester and took her to a wooded area where he sexually abused her, at an age when she legally could not consent.
Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team Parsons, who previously lived in Cirencester, was charged with several offences.
On 24 November 2025 at Gloucester Crown Court, Parsons pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration, two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual activity with a child.
At Parsons’ sentencing, one of the victims read a statement to the court. She said: “From the age of six, until the age of 14, I would remember snippets of the day I was assaulted and remember how uncomfortable Connor’s actions made me feel at the time.
“By the time I reached 14, the age he was when it happened, I started to think how unbearable the thought of someone my age doing what he did to children really was. And I realised that his actions weren’t just uncomfortable, they were wrong.
“I went through multiple counsellors to try and understand how I was feeling about what he had done to me, and I felt nothing but anger and like I had been violated with no control over being able to help myself out of the situation.
“The anger I felt towards Connor fuelled me to fight for justice, not just for me, but for [victim’s name removed] and any other girl who has been victim to him. I wanted to stop him from being able to do this to anybody ever again.”
The other victim who had been aged six at the time, also read her statement to the court. She said: “To not truly know what Connor did to me during the times I was alone with him is really scary.
“I felt so relieved when Connor pleaded guilty. It felt good to know that he had admitted to what he did to me and [victim’s name removed] and to know that he was in prison so he couldn’t do it to anyone else.
“Connor Parsons probably changed the course of my life by what he did to me, and I will never truly know how different things would have been had he not abused me when I was six.”
The third victim’s statement was also read to the court. She said: “What happened was such a turning point in my life. Had this not happened to me when I was young, I don’t know where I would be, how different my life would be.
“Following what happened I didn’t care for life or consequences of anything. It had a massive impact on my physical health and mental health.
“I felt so much relief when I found out that Connor had admitted to what he had done. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders for him to have taken responsibility for what had happened, that I wouldn’t have to go to court to try and defend myself and him to admit that what he did to me was wrong.”
In mitigation, it was said Parsons was of previous good character and he had lived in care as a child with disrupted experiences in education and accommodation.
At Gloucester Crown Court on Monday (2 February) Judge Rupert Lowe said Parsons had suffered significant neglect and abuse as a child and that this goes some way to explain the origins of the behaviour, but that this did not excuse any criminal behaviour.
He sentenced Parsons to four years in prison, and told him he must serve at least two thirds of the sentence before being released on licence.
Parsons was also given a 10-year restraining order to protect the victims, and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having any contact with a girl aged under 16.
The investigating officer said: “These offences relate to a number of child sexual offences that took place, some when Parsons was a child, and some that took place when he was an adult.
“Parsons has clearly shown an unhealthy sexual interest in children much younger than himself from a young age, which has continued into his adult life.
“He targeted all of these girls, vulnerable due to their ages, isolated them and committed heinous sexual offences against them. Two of the girls were so young they didn’t even know or understand what had happened to them until they were much, much older.
“I am pleased that Parsons has finally accepted that he committed these offences and that what he had done was wrong. By doing this he has spared the victims from further trauma in having to give evidence in court.
“This, however, does not take away from the trauma he has subjected all three victims to for a number of years, nor the fact that he had ample opportunity within the police investigations to admit these offences, which he chose not to do until what would have been the first day of his criminal trial.
“I am so grateful to all of the victims for coming forward to the police and supporting the investigation. It is a testament to them that Parsons had no other option than to plead guilty to the offences.
“All three have shown such courage and bravery through what has been an incredibly lengthy process and I am so proud of the resilience they have all shown.
“Reporting sexual offences to the police can be daunting, especially if a lot of time has elapsed. The Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team in Gloucestershire Constabulary take every report seriously and will do everything in their power to get justice for any victim of sexual offences.”
If someone has sexually abused you, help is available. For more information about child sexual abuse and information on how to report, visit: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/what-is-child-abuse/
Speaking with police and going through the criminal justice system is not something every victim/survivor wants to do. Support is available from partner agencies for all victims/survivors, regardless of whether they choose to go through the criminal justice system or not – do not suffer in silence.
Children can seek support from Childline: https://www.childline.org.uk/
In Gloucestershire, First Light provides Independent Sexual Violence Advisors for victims/survivors of sexual violence, whether the abuse was recent or not: https://www.firstlight.org.uk/
The Survivor Pathway is an online resource for anyone wanting to know more about sexual violence support services in the South West: https://survivorpathway.org.uk/
The confidential Stop It Now! UK and Ireland helpline can help anyone worried about their behaviour towards children, offline or online. Call 0808 1000 900 or visit www.stopitnow.org.uk/