September 2015 Paramedic jailed for sex assaults on girl A paramedic who admitted sexually assaulting a teenager and possessing indecent images of her has been jailed. Andrew Barrett, 32, from Norfolk, worked for the East of England Ambulance Service but resigned when he was charged. The girl was aged 14 and 15 when she was sexually assaulted in summer 2013 and May last year. Barrett, of Rayners Way, Mattishall, who was not on duty when he committed the offences, was jailed for 16 months. Norwich Crown Court heard the father of one met the girl while doing voluntary work and began sending her sexually explicit messages on Whats App and by text. He also texted the girl naked photographs of himself and became “persistent in his requests” for her to do the same, the court was told. Martin Ivory, prosecuting, said she eventually sent him five pictures. During the first sexual assault, he hugged her when she became upset and touched her indecently. The second took place while he was driving and she was in the passenger seat. He again touched her indecently. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the girl said she became anxious every time she heard an ambulance siren and at the prospect of ever having to call an ambulance. She said she had nightmares and had self-harmed. David Wilson, defending, said Barrett had been a man of “exemplary conduct” and had worked for the ambulance service for 13 years. Disregarding Mr Wilson’s call for a suspended sentence, Judge Antony Bate said: “I would be failing in my public duty if I didn’t send you to prison immediately today.”