A 22-year-old man from Yeovil has been sentenced to prison after admitting to sexually abusing two young girls, with offenses starting when they were just seven years old.
Connor Chard pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by penetration on a child under 13, involving one victim, and one count involving another child. The chilling offenses occurred at multiple addresses in Yeovil.
The court heard that Chard repeatedly assaulted the first girl between 2019 and 2022, while the second victim was assaulted once in 2024. Both victims showed remarkable bravery by reporting the abuse to family members and police, which ultimately led to Chard’s arrest and conviction.
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During sentencing at Taunton Crown Court, His Honour Judge Cook acknowledged the profound impact of Chard’s actions on the victims and their families. Statements read from the girls’ mothers highlighted the devastating psychological effects. One mother said, “You didn’t just harm her in a single moment—you changed how she saw the world. A child should feel safe, but because of your actions, that sense of safety was taken away from someone so innocent and happy.”
The other mother described the loss as a theft of childhood: “Our daughter’s childhood has been ruined. What other families take for granted has been stolen from us. No child should feel permanently vulnerable, and no mother should feel helpless to protect her daughter.”
Detective Constable Kerrie Paxton emphasized that Chard took advantage of his access to homes to target vulnerable children. “Both victims came forward independently, demonstrating tremendous strength and courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings,” DC Paxton noted. “Thanks to their bravery, Chard is now serving a prison sentence.”
Chard was sentenced to four years in prison with an added one-year licence extension upon release. He was also subject to a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order to protect the public.