Former Hertfordshire army cadet leader jailed for indecently assaulting a child
A man from Hertfordshire has been jailed after he admitted to indecently assaulting a child over 20 years ago.
Javier Franco, aged 52, formerly of Redbourn, abused a child whilst he was a former army cadet leader. At St Albans Crown Court last Wednesday, Franco was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.
The court heard that Franco assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 2024. He had told the victim – one of his army cadets – to meet him in Greenwood Park, Chiswell Green as he had a certificate for her.
The court heard how he then took her to a bedsit where he indecently assaulted her.
Hertfordshire Constabulary revealed that the victim bravely reported the incident to the authorities two years ago. The police force added that she made a report after spotting Franco in public.
Hertfordshire Constabulary also confirmed that Franco was arrested on June 12, 2023, and had pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier court hearing.
Detective Constable Sophie Beach, from the constabulary’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Firstly, I want to commend the brave victim for coming forward. She described how seeing him in public all those years later, made her feel sick and she felt she had to report it. We are so glad she did. Nobody should have to suffer in silence while their perpetrator gets away with such a heinous crime.
“Franco will now rightly be serving prison time for the indecent assault. In addition to that, he is now on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order, preventing him from contacting the victim, have also [been] put in place.
“I hope this case reassures anybody else out there who is a victim of sexual assault or rape and is unsure to tell us. We will take your report seriously and fight for justice, no matter how long ago the offence occurred. We want to help you and we will do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible for you.”