Patrick Clogg: Remorseless rapist guilty of 24 sex offences targeted girls as young as eight

Defendant Patrick Clogg did not say a word as he was made to listen to the statements made by the girls he abused, and then silenced, during a Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on June 26, 2024. 

Clogg, aged 50, formerly of Rotherham but latterly of Valley Drive, Branton, Doncaster, was convicted of 24 sex offences, including multiple counts of rape, at the conclusion of a trial.

One of the young girls abused by Clogg said he had ‘taken away’ her childhood, leaving her with severe psychological harm and feeling too afraid to be in the company of others; while the others he assaulted and raped described how they had turned to alcohol and self-harm and had been unable to sit crucial exams as a consequence of his offending. 

Sending Clogg to prison, Judge Rachael Harrison branded him ‘manipulative’ and said he had used a combination of ‘coercion’ and ‘threats’ to facilitate his sexual offences, and to force those he targeted to keep it a secret. 

The court heard how Clogg told the girls they ‘would not be believed’ if they reported him, and also threatened to both harm himself and to ‘chop’ one of the girl’s ‘fingers off’ in a bid to conceal his crimes.  

Judge Harrison noted that Clogg has refused to take responsibility for his crimes, demonstrated through the contents of his pre-sentence report, even after jurors returned guilty verdicts in all 24 charges he faced.

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In addition to the nine counts of rape Clogg was found guilty of, jurors also convicted him of offences including multiple counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, sexual assault and causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. 

Defending, James Baird prefaced his mitigation on Clogg’s behalf by telling the court that nothing he says is intended to ‘detract in any way from the effect those offences have had upon the complainants’. 

“There’s nothing that I could say that would,” continued Mr Baird. 

Mr Baird drew Judge Harrison’s attention to the fact that these 24 sex offences are the first crimes Clogg has been convicted of; but acknowledged that in ‘cases of this kind’ - where offending has been concealed over a period of years - it is not always to a defendant’s credit, but asked Judge Harrison to ‘bear it in mind’. 

He also said Clogg had not caused any ‘problems whatsoever’ since being remanded into the ‘prison environment’. 

Judge Harrison handed down a sentence of 28-and-a-half years - consisting of 26-and-a-half years custody and an additional two years on licence. 

She said she had considered passing a life sentence.

Judge Harrison said Clogg does meet the legal criteria for a dangerous offender, and has been assessed as posing a high risk to children - both male and female - when he is at liberty in the community. 

She concluded that the length of Clogg’s sentence, and the fact he will have to serve at least two-thirds of the custodial element behind bars, meant that she did not deem it necessary to pass an extended sentence, however. 

Judge Harrison also made Clogg the subject of restraining and sexual harm prevention orders, and told him he will also be required to register as a sex offender.