Plymouth man, 24, jailed for having sex with girl of 14
A MAN of 24 carried on a sexual affair with a girl of 14, despite being warned off by her father and the police, a court heard.
Prosecutor David Gittins told Plymouth Crown Court that the girl visited Daniel Thompson after school to have sex at his flat in Wilton Street, Stoke.
They had sex virtually every day, were seen in bed together by other people and Thompson filmed himself with her.
Mr Gittins said they began an initially platonic relationship when the girl was 13. Eventually her father found out and banned her from seeing him. On the same day, November 5 last year, a police officer issued Thompson with a notice under the Child Abduction Act. He replied: “I don’t care; I’m going to rip it up.”
The girl went missing but was found the next day, the court heard.
Police found texts on Thompson’s phone which made their relationship clear, and found three home movies on a DVD showing them having sex.
Thompson admitted sexual activity with a child, taking indecent photos of a child and possessing an indecent photo of a child.
Nick Lewin, for Thompson, said the girl had refused to make a statement to police, and the relationship was very much on a consensual basis. “This was a relationship between two willing people; there was nothing covert or sinister, but her age was inadequate,” he said.
“He has an inability to form appropriate relationships. He has been severely damaged by his upbringing and is desperate for help.”
Judge Francis Gilbert QC told Thompson it was clear he had no intention of complying with the law.
Referring to the sex videos, he said: “What she will think of that in a few years when she’s a bit more mature I don’t know.” He added: “Her willingness is not a mitigating factor; the law is there to protect young girls from their own folly.”
He jailed Thompson, now 25, for three years less 104 days spent on remand, ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order indefinitely.
