Attorney General to review 'lenient' child rape sentence

The Attorney General is to review the prison sentence handed to a paedophile who repeatedly raped a young girl while under community supervision.

Kevin Hazelwood, 40, was jailed indefinitely on Thursday, with a minimum term of five years and seven months, prompting concern than the sentence was too lenient. Lord Goldsmith has requested papers on the case and has 28 days to consider whether to send the case to the Court of Appeal, which has the power to increase the tariff.

Hazelwood, from Brighton, admitted six rapes, two attempted rapes, three sexual assaults and two indecent assaults against a young girl over a three-year period.

Lewes Crown Court heard that the abuse came to light when the girl broke down in tears and told her mother. Judge Richard Hayward said Hazelwood was "cunning and manipulative" and was "unable or unwilling" to control his paedophile urges.

A spokeswoman for Lord Goldsmith said: "He has asked to see the case file relating to this case as he has a statutory power to review sentencing of serious offences heard in the crown court."

Hazelwood was already on the sex offenders' register for downloading child pornography and was supposed to be under community supervision. Sussex police and Sussex Probation Area said it was "very rare" for offenders to re-offend but that they could not "entirely eliminate" the risk of further offending.