A former Conservative councillor has admitted to nearly 50 serious sex crimes against his ex-wife over a span of 14 years, including rape, drugging, and voyeurism. Philip Young, 49, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape and 11 counts of administering a substance with intent to stupefy his former spouse, Joanne Young, who can be named as she has waived her right to anonymity.
The abuse allegedly took place between 2010 and 2024, during which time Young was a councillor in Swindon and held various other roles. He has been found guilty of multiple counts of voyeurism, including one count that covered at least 200 acts of the crime. Seven counts of assault by penetration and four counts of sexual assault also make up part of his convictions.
Young was described as "incredibly brave" by Det Supt Geoff Smith of Wiltshire police, who praised Joanne Young for her courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation. Five other men appeared in court on Friday in connection with alleged offences against Joanne Young, but they all pleaded not guilty to various charges.
The case has sparked outrage, with many calling for tougher sentences for sex offenders. The Crown Prosecution Service has welcomed the guilty verdicts and expressed its commitment to ensuring that Philip Young faces justice for his "abhorrent" actions.
Young's past has been shrouded in controversy, including a 2009 article published in which he spoke about delivering his son at home while his wife went into labour. He has also held various director roles, including as the chief operating officer at Pracedo, a consultancy firm.
The abuse allegedly took place between 2010 and 2024, during which time Young was a councillor in Swindon and held various other roles. He has been found guilty of multiple counts of voyeurism, including one count that covered at least 200 acts of the crime. Seven counts of assault by penetration and four counts of sexual assault also make up part of his convictions.
Young was described as "incredibly brave" by Det Supt Geoff Smith of Wiltshire police, who praised Joanne Young for her courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation. Five other men appeared in court on Friday in connection with alleged offences against Joanne Young, but they all pleaded not guilty to various charges.
The case has sparked outrage, with many calling for tougher sentences for sex offenders. The Crown Prosecution Service has welcomed the guilty verdicts and expressed its commitment to ensuring that Philip Young faces justice for his "abhorrent" actions.
Young's past has been shrouded in controversy, including a 2009 article published in which he spoke about delivering his son at home while his wife went into labour. He has also held various director roles, including as the chief operating officer at Pracedo, a consultancy firm.
. Anyway, 14 years is just insane. And to think he was in positions of power and trust? It's a bit much, don't you think? The fact that his ex-wife felt brave enough to come forward and support the investigation is what should be celebrated, not him... I mean, it takes a lot of guts to speak out against someone like this 
. And those 200+ acts of voyeurism? Unbelievable 
. Can't believe he got away with all that for so long... yeah, definitely not enough consequences from his past actions 
.
And to think he was involved in some pretty high-profile roles too... councillor and COO at a consultancy firm? Unbelievable. The fact that his ex-wife had to go through all this is just heartbreaking 
. Tougher sentences for sex offenders is definitely the way to go, in my opinion 
. Justice needs to be served in cases like this 
. And I have to say, I'm also really proud of his ex-wife for coming forward and supporting the investigation 
.
this is just so heartbreaking 
and I think it's completely reasonable that there's outrage over Philip Young's actions, but at the same time, we have to consider that he has been found guilty and will face justice 
perhaps now that the court process is over, we can start thinking about how we can support survivors of abuse and create a system that prevents this kind of thing from happening again 
Philip Young's crimes are absolutely despicable, 11 counts of rape is already a lot but adding drugging and voyeurism makes me so angry 
. It's not just the fact that he committed these heinous acts, but also the fact that he had multiple roles in his life and still managed to hide this from everyone 
. I'm glad Joanne Young found the courage to come forward and support the investigation 
Can you imagine being in Joanne's shoes? 
. I'm so glad Joanne Young finally found the courage to come forward and support the investigation - she's a total rockstar 
. And what really gets me is that he was in all these positions of trust... how did nobody see this coming? 
This is absolutely disgusting... how could someone do this to another human being for so long? 
. And the fact that he was still in positions of power while doing this is just sickening 
. The law needs to catch up, you know? Five years for rape in the UK is still way too lenient if you ask me 
. And credit to Det Supt Smith and the CPS for pushing for tougher sentences - we need more of that, ASAP 
the law needs to change, we need stricter sentences for sex offenders like this! 
