Southport man charged after alleged Marine Lake sex attack on young girl

A Southport man has been charged after allegedly raping a young girl near the Marine Lake.

Christopher Wade, 53, of Jacksmere Lane, Scarisbrick, has been charged with one count of rape of a female under 16 years old and two counts of sexual assault.

The charges relate to an incident which occurred in Marine Lake park in Southport, at around 11.45pm on the 12 August 2022, where it was reported that a teenage girl was raped by an unknown male.

Wade has been remanded in custody and will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on the 20 September 2022.

Anyone who wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers, or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Merseyside Police, alongside three other forces, have also been part of a pilot project for a new service to report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences online – with the option to report anonymously.

The new online Rape and Sexual Assault reporting service is now live on the website here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/  and enables people who do not require immediate police assistance to report the crime via their local force website.

Support for victims is also available through the registered charity the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546or 0330 363 0063 or Rape and Sexual Assault Merseyside (RASA) on 0151 558 1801.

For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service (StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk)  for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, eg street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused.
Please note: ‘StreetSafe’ is not for reporting crime or incidents.

If something has happened to you or someone you know (including in public spaces online) you can call us on 101 or find out what online reporting services are available at StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk)