With these seven words, William Raison (also known as Bill Raison) tried to absolve himself of blame for his crimes and make the young survivor complicit in his cover-up.

75-year-old Raison was jailed today (Thursday, 17 September) for multiple sexual offences against a child. He had systematically abused the survivor, a girl known to him, over a period of about a year.

He was arrested in February 2025 after the survivor confided to her family what had happened.

During a police interview, the survivor described pretending to be asleep when Raison entered the room because she wanted to know what he would do if he thought she was asleep. If he did anything bad to her, she wanted to tell someone so it wouldn’t happen to anyone else. On one occasion when she did challenge him directly, he replied dismissively “It doesn’t matter. Just don’t tell anyone.”

In April, Raison was charged with two counts of sexual assault by penetration of a girl under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13 and making 216 category C indecent images of children. At Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 19 June, he pleaded guilty to all seven offences.

Today Raison (08/03/1951), of Surbiton, was jailed for 12 years with an additional year to be served on licence. A lifelong restraining order was also granted for the survivor and her family, and he was given a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Investigating officer, DC Kiki Phillips, said “Raison used grooming behaviours to facilitate deplorable, systematic abuse against the young survivor on numerous occasions. Not only did he commit these terrible offences, he also encouraged her to keep quiet about his heinous acts.

“Therefore, it was particularly commendable that the survivor remained courageous and open with officers throughout the police investigation. Her clear and detailed testimony enabled investigators to pinpoint both forensic and digital forensic opportunities to gather vital evidence.

“The wealth of evidence accrued against Raison culminated in his pleading guilty to all charges at an early court hearing. I hope that the survivor and her family can seek some solace in knowing that Raison is behind bars and unable to harm anyone else, thanks to her courage.

“I wish the survivor the best in achieving her aspirations and hope she recognises how many lives she’s saved.”

If you have been a victim of sexual offences, it’s never too late to make a report.

You can find more advice and information on our website, including a bespoke online reporting form that you can use to make your initial report to police, at your own pace, at a time that works for you. Every report is taken seriously, and every report is valuable.

https://www.surrey.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/