The colleagues of a dangerous predator who owned a respite care centre told a young woman with Down's Syndrome she was "lying" after he was arrested for raping her.
Peter Edge, 62, was considered a friend by the parents of *Jane (not her real name), who used his company, My Choices NW Social Enterprise CIC, for much-needed respite care. One day, while Jane was using a laptop in the family home, her dad was stunned to notice she was on a video call with Edge - who was exposing his penis over the webcam.
The astonishing incident prompted a major Lancashire Police investigation. Jane's parents were devastated when detectives had to inform them Edge had earlier raped and sexually assaulted their vulnerable daughter. Jane had no understanding of sex or consent and has a mental age of around six, at the respite centre in Skelmersdale where she would go for overnight stays. Edge, of Goswell Street in Wavertree, admitted exposure but was convicted of rape and sexual assault after a trial at Preston Crown Court.
