Abuse charity worker gave victim details to rapist

An employee of a sexual abuse charity has been sentenced after sharing confidential information about a child victim with a prisoner, who then used it to intimidate a fellow inmate.

Lauren Leese, 30, was employed at former Stoke-on-Trent charity Savana, which supported survivors of sexual violence and abuse, when she unlawfully obtained the sensitive information and shared it with Shane Davis, 36, who was in prison for rape.

Davis, who is currently serving a sentence at HMP Dovegate, then used the information to threaten and intimidate a fellow prisoner, Staffordshire Police said.

The pair pleaded guilty to unauthorised access of computer material at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Monday.

Staffordshire Police said that for six months in 2024, Leese obtained and shared sensitive personal information from a child victim of serious sexual offences.

Leese, who was working as an independent sexual violence advisor at Savana when she was arrested in September 2024, was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Davis, who was jailed last year after being found guilty of rape and other sexual offences, was sentenced to 12 months to be served concurrently with his current sentence.

Det Insp Lewis Haigh said Leese had betrayed a "position of trust" at the charity, letting down victims, her colleagues and the public.

He added: "She was only supposed to access sensitive and confidential information when necessary to support and advocate for victims of serious crime and instead she passed information to Davis, who was on remand awaiting a trial after being charged with rape offences and who she sustained a relationship with whilst he was in prison."

Savana closed its doors in April after nearly 40 years of work saying it could no longer afford to keep the service running.

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