HGV Driver Jailed for Sexually Abusing Schoolgirls in Stoke

A perverted HGV driver who preyed on two schoolgirls has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. Adrian Vermaak, aged 38, used his Audi A6 to lure and sexually abuse the victims in Stoke. The court was told by prosecutor Barry White that Vermaak engaged in sexual activity with the girls inside his car. Since the assaults, one victim has reported that her academic performance has declined, and her mental health has been severely affected. She expressed her feelings in a statement, saying, "I feel used, betrayed, worthless and I am drained mentally and physically. I am angry. I did not deserve any of it." The second girl also suffered mental health issues and now hates attending school, feeling "used, betrayed, worthless," and expressing being "drained mentally and physically." The judge, Michael Maher, sentenced Vermaak and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order along with an indefinite order to register as a sex offender. Vermaak admitted to five charges of sexual activity with a child, asserting that he did not force anyone to perform sex acts nor force himself upon them. He has been in custody for 10 months and fears possible deportation to Zimbabwe after serving his sentence. The judge highlighted that Vermaak's conduct over a six-day period was out of character, and he acknowledged making a huge error, calling it the "biggest error of his life." Vermaak, who was also in the Territorial Army, has pleaded guilty and will serve two-thirds of his prison term before release on licence.