Trowbridge sex attacker who preyed on teenager jailed for 17 years

A "dangerous sexual predator" hid in bushes on a quiet footpath and hit a teenage girl over the head before trying to rape her.

Stephen Chant, 26, assaulted three victims in Trowbridge between August 2021 and July 2022.

He was jailed for 17 years at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday after admitting three attempted rapes.

In his last attack on 25 July, he hit the teenager on a path near the railway station and tried to assault her.

Despite being injured, she fought back and was able to escape from the scene near Langford Road when a passer-by intervened, Wiltshire Police said.

Chant also attempted to rape a second teenager in April 2022 and attacked a young woman in August 2021.

The defendant, of Seymour Road, Trowbridge, was unknown to all of his victims.

As well as his jail sentence, Chant will also serve five years on licence.

Det Insp Tom Straker said: "Chant is clearly a very dangerous man who preyed on young women in Trowbridge.

"His victims have been incredibly brave and I cannot praise them enough for how they have worked with my team to help us to get him convicted and imprisoned."

He also praised officers for carrying out "such a thorough investigation that (Chant) had no option but to plead guilty".

He added: "This in turn saved his victims, who had already gone through an unimaginable ordeal, from reliving the trauma at a trial.

"A sexual predator has now been removed from society."

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