Drayton Manor ride operator admits 19 child assault counts

Josef Luke Hammond admitted 19 counts of assaulting girls under 13 by touching at Stafford Crown Court on October 12, after working as a ride operator at Drayton Manor theme park in Staffordshire, the court proceedings reported. The 24-year-old, from Birmingham, was bailed ahead of sentencing, scheduled for December 11. Hammond worked at the park between March and August 2024. Staffordshire Police said he came to their attention in August that year after a girl told her parent he had touched her inappropriately. Park staff reviewed CCTV and sent him home, and police were called and arrested him that day, according to the force. An investigation identified 19 victims, police said. Hammond admitted all 19 counts, each relating to a girl under 13. The accounts of the court hearing do not report a sentence; the December hearing is scheduled to determine his punishment. Detective Inspector Vanessa Furnival, of Staffordshire Police’s child protection team, praised the victims’ courage in coming forward and said parents or guardians who believe their child may have been affected should contact police.