Drayton Manor ride operator pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 19 children at theme park

Published 13 October 2026, 15:34

• Josef Luke Hammond, 24, from Birmingham, admitted 19 counts of groping girls under 13 while working as a ride operator in 2024
• Caught after one girl told her parent — CCTV sealed his fate and he was arrested the same day
• Detective Inspector Vanessa Furnival said Hammond was 'left with no choice but to admit to all of the offences' — he is sentenced December 11

A ride operator at Drayton Manor Theme Park pleaded guilty on Monday to sexually assaulting 19 girls under the age of 13 while working at the Staffordshire attraction.

Josef Luke Hammond, 24, from Birmingham, appeared at Stafford Crown Court on October 12 and admitted 19 counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, according to the Staffordshire Police report published on staffordshire.police.uk.

Hammond worked as a ride operator at Drayton Manor from March 2024 to August 2024, and all 19 offences took place during that period.

The investigation began in August 2024 after a young girl disclosed to her parent that Hammond had inappropriately touched her.

The parent alerted theme park staff, who immediately reviewed CCTV footage of the incident.

Following the CCTV review, Hammond was removed from his duties and sent home the same day.

Staff contacted police, and Hammond was arrested and brought in for questioning before the day was out.

A subsequent investigation identified a total of 19 victims — all girls under 13 — who had been sexually assaulted by Hammond while he operated rides at the park, the Staffordshire Police report states.

Faced with the weight of evidence presented in court, Hammond admitted to every one of the 19 offences.

Detective Inspector Vanessa Furnival, from the child protection team, said Hammond was "left with no choice but to admit to all of the offences."

Hammond has been bailed following his guilty plea.

He is due to be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on December 11.

DI Furnival praised the victims for coming forward.

"I'd like to recognise the bravery of the victims in this case who have all shown immense courage in coming forward and supporting us with our efforts to secure this outcome today," she said.

She also commended Drayton Manor staff for their swift action on the day the complaint was made.

"I'd also like to recognise the rapid response from staff at Drayton Manor, who immediately removed Hammond from his duties," DI Furnival said.

DI Furnival called on any other parents or guardians who think a child in their care may have suffered as a victim to contact police.

"While we're pleased to secure this conviction, we would advise any parents or guardians who think their child may have been a victim to get in touch with the police directly," she said.

Anyone with concerns is asked to call 101 or report online via the Staffordshire Police website, where specialist officers are available to speak in confidence.