A MAN who subjected a young girl to 'horrific' sexual abuse in a seven-year long ordeal has been found guilty of his crimes.

Mark Anthony Foster, also known as Tony, has been standing trial for 13 days at Chester Crown Court and has today been convicted on 20 charges.

These include 11 counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, four of raping a girl under 16, four of gross indecency with a girl under 14, and one charge of raping a girl over the age of 16.

The 61-year-old, of Forster Avenue, Weaverham, has been remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing in Chester on June 13 later this summer.

A jury heard Foster committed a number of indecent assaults and rapes on a girl in Northwich between 1995 and 2001, when the victim was aged between nine and sixteen.

The case came to the attention of Cheshire Police in August 2020 when the victim bravely came forward to disclose what had happened to her.

During the ordeal, the offences became more aggressive and violent as Foster continued to groom, abuse and rape her. On at least one occasion, Foster dosed the victim with medication before raping her.

In interviews following his arrest, Foster continued to deny the allegations, but was subsequently charged in January 2023.

Northwich Guardian: Mark Anthony Foster, also known as TonyMark Anthony Foster, also known as Tony (Image: Cheshire Police)

Following his conviction, DC Paul Beesley said: “Firstly, I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, who not only came forward to report what had happened to her, but also endured the process of a trial after Foster refused to take accountability for his horrifying actions.

“The offences the victim reported were some of the most horrific and violent, and clearly demonstrate the grooming she sustained.

“The offences were persistent sexualised abuse Foster subjected her to over a seven-year period, which became more violent as time progressed, including administering the victim with medication before raping her.

“But thanks to the strength of the evidence against him, Foster has been found guilty of a number of offences.

“As this case shows, we treat all reports of non-recent sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.

“Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it to Cheshire Police on 101 or through our website.”