May 2022

Vile sex offender raped girl, 12, in depraved alleyway attack

A convicted sex offender has been jailed for sexually abusing a vulnerable 12-year-old girl he met online.

Adam Harrison, 29, took advantage of the child’s chaotic and lonely life for his own sexual gratification, Taunton Crown Court was told.

She arranged to run away from her care address in Somerset and Harrison, who she knew by another name, was there to pick her up in his car.

He took her to an alleyway and got her to perform oral sex on him.

At the time of the offence Harrison was subject to the sex offender register and should have been living in Plymouth.

Police arrested him at a different address in Taunton.

An investigation revealed he had known the girl for five months and had engaged in similar behaviour with her on a previous occasion.

The pair exchanged Snapchat messages and she had been desperate for someone to care for her.

The defendant, of Stuart Road, Plymouth, was jailed for eight years and eleven months with a further four years on extended licence to protect the public when he is released.

The judge sentencing him at Taunton Crown Court said he was a dangerous offender and a high risk to young girls.

It was not the first time he had targeted a child for sex. Harrison was jailed in 2012 for sexual activity with another 12-year-old girl.

Prosecutor Miss Sarah Regan said in February of this year the girl had been placed in emergency foster care.

When she bolted from the house her carer followed and saw a car flashing its lights for her to get in.

He took a photo of the registration and called police. The car drove away with the girl at speed, ignoring a red light.

The girl was found later at Plymouth Railway Station. She told officers the pair had met previously and he had taken her to Dartmoor. They kept in touch on Snapchat and she knew him by another name.

He was aware of her extremely vulnerable state and she had given him sexual favours to make him happy.

She said he had ‘freaked out’ when the carer took a photo of the car driving away.

The court was told the girl was a high-achiever but her life extremely troubled. She is vulnerable to grooming and has been in contact with lots of men via the chat app.

“I was very lonely,” she said. “I would have done anything to keep someone. I wanted someone to care about me.”

Harrison was tracked down to an address in Taunton. Under the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order he was prevented from contacting anyone under 16.

Harrison pleaded guilty to two offences of raping a 12-year-old girl; breaching the terms of his SOPO and two offences of failing to comply with the sex offender register.

Judge Paul Cook said: “The victim was extremely vulnerable. Through her short life she has been in and out of care. Her life had instability, chaos and sorrow and she has been the victim of various unkind interests in her life and the last thing she needed steeping into her life was you and what you did to her.

“You were required to register at an address in Plymouth but were, in fact, in Taunton. You have a total lack of awareness of the consequences of your actions and are a high risk of committing further contact offences. You show a reluctance to take responsibility and lack victim empathy.”

He said Harrison posed a serious harm to female children. The defendant will serve two thirds of his eight year eleven months sentence in jail before he can be considered safe for release.

He will remain subject to licence conditions for the full 12 years and eleven months.

In 2012, he was sentenced to six years for raping a girl aged under 13

February 2012

‘Deviant’ Plymouth teen jailed for rape of girl under 13

A ‘deviant sex predator’ has been jailed for raping a girl under 13 years of age and sexually assaulting another under 16.

Adam Harrison, of Trevose Way, Efford appeared at Plymouth Crown Court where he was sentenced for:

• One of rape of a child under 13 years-of-age,

• One of causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity

• One of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

The 19-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to all three counts.

The court heard how he met one of the victims and started to ‘groom’ her on Facebook, telling her she was pretty and asking to meet up.

The girl went to his home where they had sex and the act came to light after she talked to an adult when she was concerned about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, the court heard.

Tests proved Harrison’s DNA was on items of her clothing.

The court heard Harrison met the other victim and plied her with alcohol before engaging her in sexual activity.

He then left her “heavily intoxicated” to fend for herself, crying in a street, the court heard.

Judge Miranda Robertshaw said: “There is no question they were both victims of your deviant behaviour and they are not responsible for what happened.”

He was jailed for six years and will be on the sex offenders register for life.