Sick paedophile, 57, befriended 13-year-old daughter of his late friend to ‘support her grieving’ – before grooming and raping her, telling her she was ‘his girlfriend’ and forcing her to lie to police

When Jennifer Bentley was just 13, she lost her father to prostate cancer.

Just entering her teenage years, the Liverpool schoolgirl and her mother were plunged into a state of mourning and didn’t have many people to turn to – until an old family friend got in touch.

Raymond Andrews, then in his 40s, was the partner of a friend of Jennifer’s mother.

At first he seemed to help her grieve her father, but within months he confessed that he ‘liked her’ before beginning a horrific campaign of abuse and rape.

When a family member became suspicious of his behavior, Andrews told Jennifer to lie to the police.

It wasn’t until 2020 that Jennifer felt strong enough to report him.

In June 2024, Andrews was found guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.

Jennifer, now 24, has bravely given up her anonymity to help other survivors of sexual abuse.

“In February 2014, I met Mom’s boyfriend’s partner, Ray,” Jennifer said.

‘He seemed very nice and made an effort to talk to me.

‘He told me he liked my style. At the time I enjoyed experimenting with my appearance. I had dark hair, piercings and wore cool clothes.’

Jennifer and her mother lived just around the corner from the couple, they regularly came to eat with us.

At the time, Jennifer was struggling with the loss of her father, began skipping school and smoking.

“One day when I saw Ray, he took me into the hallway and offered to help me,” she said.

“I found myself opening up to him about my feelings.”

In April that year, Andrews admitted he ‘liked’ Jennifer and a few days later he walked behind her in the kitchen and touched her bottom over her skirt.

Jennifer said: ‘He told me I looked really nice and then walked out of the room.

“I felt really confused.”

Shortly afterwards, Andrews asked Jennifer to be his girlfriend. Not wanting to offend him, she agreed.

Jennifer said: ‘Not long after, he kissed me on the lips.

‘I told him I thought it was strange because he was a lot older than me, but he said ‘age is just a number’.

“Because I trusted him, I didn’t doubt it.”

A few weeks later, Andrews visited Jennifer at home while her mother went to the store.

He took her upstairs to her bedroom and asked if she wanted to “do something sexual.”

Jennifer said: ‘He took off my clothes and raped me.

‘I told him it hurt, but he said that’s how it had to be.

‘He told me afterwards not to tell anyone, that we had to wait until I was 18.’

Afraid of losing him, Jennifer remained silent about the abuse. But after that, Andrews continued to take advantage of her when they were alone.

In June 2014, Jennifer’s mother let her stay with him in a caravan park while she visited family in the area.

There, Andrews paid for Jennifer to have her tongue pierced.

“That night he made me give him oral sex,” she said.

‘My mouth hurt so bad, but he didn’t care.

“I hated what he did to me, but I didn’t know how to make it stop.”

Shortly afterwards, a family member suspected that Andrews was abusing Jennifer and reported him to social services.

In August, Jennifer was placed in foster care and told she could no longer see Andrews.

That month he was arrested and an investigation was launched.

Officers took Jennifer’s phone and iPad, but Andrews secretly bought her a burner phone.

Jennifer said: ‘He texted me and told me to meet him at his flat. By now he had broken up with mom’s girlfriend.

‘He told me to lie if the police ever questioned me.

“I did as he said and said Ray had just talked to me about how I was feeling.”

In June 2015, the investigation was dropped due to lack of evidence and the following year Andrews continued to secretly abuse Jennifer.

She recalls, “I hated it, but he made me feel like I needed him.”

At the age of 16, an old friend messaged Jennifer on social media.

“We started talking and I started to like him,” she said.

‘I told Ray I didn’t want to be his girlfriend anymore.

“He was crying and kept calling me, but I ignored him.”

Two years later, Jennifer left foster care and she and her partner had a son together.

Their relationship ended, but Jennifer met a new partner not long after.

“After we moved in together in October 2019, my mental health deteriorated,” she said.

‘Memories of Ray’s abuse kept replaying in my mind.

“I knew what he had done was wrong, but I couldn’t find the words to talk about it.”

In June 2020, Jennifer wrote her partner a letter detailing Andrews’ abuse.

He encouraged her to report him and with that, Jennifer contacted the police and Andrews was arrested. He denied the accusations.

Jennifer said: ‘The investigation took years.

“Finally, four years later, the trial came and I gave my testimony from behind a curtain.”

Andrews was found guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

In July 2024, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.

Jennifer says, “I cried with relief.

“Ray attacked me after losing my father, when I was at my most vulnerable.

‘He groomed me and made me believe we were a couple.

“But now his secret is out, and I am slowly rebuilding my life.”

She added, “I will never get over what he did to me, but knowing he can’t hurt anyone else gives me comfort.

“Other survivors need to know that it is never too late to speak out.”

Andrews was also given a restraining order, the Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will have to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

If you would like to speak to someone, please contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818 or visit their website