Man charged in connection with sexual assault of a child – Bishop’s Stortford

A man has been charged and remanded in connection with the sexual assault of a child in Bishop’s Stortford.

Shayne Hammond, aged 37, from the Havers area of the town, has been charged with:

• Assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by touching (two counts)
• Making indecent photographs of a child (one count)

The first charge relates to an incident in South Street, Bishop’s Stortford, on Wednesday 27 September, where a young girl was sexually assaulted inside a shop.

The second charge relates to material discovered on electronic devices that police recovered from a property in Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday 30 September.

Hammond has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday 31 October.

Detective Inspector Manjit Khela, who leads the East Herts Local Crime Unit, said: “We know that news of this incident is going to be very upsetting and concerning for the community. Due to the bravery of the victim and her family, and the work of the investigation team, Hammond has been charged and remanded in custody.

“We are continuing to support the victim and her family as the investigation progresses, and we are also working closely with our colleagues in the Safer Neighbourhood Team to manage any community concerns.

“Our enquiries are ongoing and we are now appealing to anyone who believes they may have information that could be helpful to police to please contact us, quoting reference 41/B2/19123/23.”

You can report information online, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form (opens in a new window).