May 2020

Kingswood man kissed girl, 11, and asked to see her naked

A former lorry driver kissed a girl aged 11 on the lips and said he wanted to see her naked.

Neil Rodrigues invited the youngster for walks in a wood, Bristol Crown Court heard.

On two occasions she was left uncomfortable when he kissed her on the mouth, and on a third occasion he took her into a bush, showed her a choker, and said he would like to see her wearing nothing but that.

The concerned child told her mum and police called in found him in possession of child abuse images and videos.

Rodrigues, 29, of Crossfield Road in Kingswood, pleaded guilty to two sexual assaults of a girl aged under-13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also pleaded guilty to five charges of making indecent images of a child.

Judge Julian Lambert handed him 18 months’ jail, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation.

He told Rodrigues: “A report from a mental health professional shows you to be socially inadequate, isolated and in need of cognitive behaviour therapy.

“It is not, however, all about you and there needs to be a strong focus on the victim of your offending rather than on you.

“Victim impact is high and there is a considerable and justifiable sense of betrayal in respect of what you’ve done.

“In spite of your difficulties you are the adult and your victim was a young girl.

“You are responsible for your actions and you must accept the consequences.”

The judge said Rodrigues’ offending was so serious only a custodial sentence could be justified.

But he added: “The pre-sentence report, does, however demonstrate plainly that there is sufficient prospect of rehabilitation in your case.”

Rodrigues was handed a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning him from unsupervised contact with children and unchecked internet use.

He was also handed a ten-year restraining order banning him from contact with his victim or her family, and told to register as a sex offender for ten years.

Stephen Dent, prosecuting, said when Rodrigues first kissed the child on her lips for a “second” he told her not to tell anyone and she initially didn’t, though it made her uncomfortable.

She then took another walk with him in which he kissed her on the lips again, produced the choker and asked her to see her just wearing that.

Mr Dent told the court Rodrigues said he was serious and told the child: “I’m telling you this because I really like you and I don’t know what to do.”

The girl refused Rodrigues’ request and once again he told her not to say anything, telling her if police found the choker she should tell them a friend of her age gave it to her.

But the girl told her mum what happened and police were alerted.

Rodrigues gave no comment when interviewed but admitted kissing the girl on her lips twice and asking to see her wearing only the choker.

Some 2,380 child abuse images and videos, showing girls aged six to 12, were found on a hard drive and laptop computer in his bedroom.

Police also found he had access to the “dark web” with computer cleaner software and peer-to-peer browsing.