A serial sex offender who changed his name and moved to a country where he could not be touched by British police for 13 years is now behind bars. Glenn Langrish, 74, an ex amateur football coach and lawnmower repair shop assistant was from Crawley in West Sussex.
He inflicted his tirade of abuse on young boys from the 1980s before amending his surname and fleeing to Sweden to evade capture.
Now, more than a decade later, Langrish has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, with another three spent on licence at Hove Crown Court on February 2. He must serve nine years and eight months before being eligible for parole.
The court heard how, in 1983, he began communication with then 10-year-old Stephen Lewsey over a shortwave radio. Eventually the pair agreed to meet, and Stephen even began working in the repair shop with his soon-to-be abuser.
Over the next several years, Langrish sexually assaulted Stephen every time he worked at the shop and when he was giving him a lift home. The abuse finally stopped in 1989 when Langrish was jailed for unrelated child sex offences.
On his release from jail in 1994 he fled the country, moving to Sweden and changing his name to Glenn Stephens. Mr Lewsey, who is now 51, reported the abuse to Sussex Police in 2011 and an international search began for Langrish.
Five years later Interpol discovered he was living in Vendelso, Sweden, with Swedish citizenship. He was interviewed by Swedish police, but as a Swedish citizen was protected from extradition back to the United Kingdom.
In May 2023 an opportunity finally arose for his arrest, as Sussex Police were alerted that he had arrived in Poland. He was brought back from Poland by the Metropolitan Police’s extradition team on July 5 last year, and taken into custody at Heathrow Airport the same day.
Langrish was subsequently charged with four counts of indecency with a child and four counts of indecent assault on a child, all of which he was found guilty of at Chichester Crown Court.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Lewsey said: “Until I confided in my wife, I treated this as my ‘dirty little secret’ something that I lived with for the last 40 years, but you have now been found guilty of the crimes that you know you committed.
“I would never have asked my ex-wife and my dear old mum to endure the trial If I did not know what you had done to me all those years ago was so wrong, that you needed to face justice.
“It has taken a long time to face you in court but now we have had our day and the jury have seen through your lies, I can now start to rebuild my life.”
He added: “Since I initially reported your behaviour to the police, I have experienced many, many emotions including some really dark thoughts.
“But throughout the entire time I have had the support of my amazing wife who has had to endure her husband go through this emotional, most imaginable turmoil.
“My family has suffered and have blamed themselves for your actions but there is only one person who should accept their responsibility and that is you – Glenn Langrish / Stephens or whatever you have changed your name to now to avoid any further people coming forward.”
Detective Sergeant Becki Buckley, of Sussex Police, said: “Glenn Langrish thought he could hide in Sweden and not have to face justice for his appalling crimes.
“He hugely underestimated the determination of Sussex Police, our partner forces and national agencies and, just as importantly, the resolve of his brave victim.
“I cannot commend Steve Lewsey enough for his courage in coming forward, supporting this investigation for such a long time and choosing to waive his anonymity to help other victims.
“This investigation should send a clear message to victims of sexual offences that we will stop at nothing to get you the justice you deserve.”
