ADAM CONNOLLY FROM WIDNES SENTENCED IN CHESTER COURT FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING TEENAGERS
A man named Adam Connolly has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offenses involving teenage girls.Chester Crown Court was informed by prosecutor Oliver King that Connolly, 30, of Frederick Street, Widnes, committed the assaults in Runcorn.
According to the court, Connolly first sexually assaulted a teenage girl while she was sleeping, groping her below the top.
The girl awoke and asked what he was doing; Connolly allegedly responded, "he thought she liked it." The following year, he covered the face of a second girl and ran his hand over her.
When he asked if she wanted a cuddle, she refused.
During his arrest, Connolly denied the assaults, claiming his first victim was unreliable and that his contact with the second girl was accidental, merely touching her shoulder.
However, evidence from his phone contradicted his denial, displaying images of his second victim on the day of the assault, alongside saved pictures of his first victim.
Magistrates' court documents also revealed that Connolly was in possession of an indecent video featuring a third girl.
Mr.
King stated that the footage showed Connolly placing his hands around her neck as if to strangle her.
It was noted that Connolly had two prior convictions primarily related to weapon possession.
The victims provided impact statements, with the first victim describing suffering from sleep and appetite issues, and strained relationships.
The second victim stated she became more withdrawn and stopped socializing as much, feeling disgusted and angry about the incident.
A statement from the third victim was not submitted.
Both of the younger victims underwent cross-examination as the cases headed toward trial, before Connolly pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of making a Category A indecent video of a child.
Defense lawyer Jo Maxwell highlighted Connolly’s guilty pleas and referenced the principle of totality in mitigation, noting that Connolly had begun to accept responsibility and recognized the foolishness of claiming his contacts were accidental or innocent.
She agreed to the indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order suggested by the court.
Judge Patrick Thompson, who presided over the case on Friday, issued restraining orders protecting the two younger victims and ordered that Connolly be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
He sentenced Connolly to eight years in total, with 18 months for each sexual assault and five years for the indecent video, sentencing the sentences to run consecutively to reflect separate incidents and the time between them.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Thompson stated, "It seems to me, having read everything I have about you and the circumstances of these offences, and having seen the victims in counts one and two cross-examined, that you have an unhealthy sexual interest in children and I notice in the pre-sentence report you are assessed as a danger to children under the age of 18." A victim surcharge was also imposed.
For legal reasons, the identities of all victims are protected, and Cheshire police were unable to provide a mugshot of Connolly in time for publication five days after the hearing.
