A CARE WORKER WHO ADMITTED HAVING A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A VULNERABLE WOMAN HAS BEEN JAILED FOR FIVE YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS
Brett Peterson, 55, from Buckminster Lane in Skillington, pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual conduct with a person suffering from a mental disorder.The offenses took place over a period from January 2019 to September 2020, during which Peterson was employed by the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust working in the Stamford area.
At Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Simon Hirst addressed Peterson, stating, "You knew not only that relationships with service users were forbidden but a criminal offence." Prosecutor Jon Dee revealed that the victim in this case had multiple mental health conditions and regularly attended hospital appointments.
Dee also noted that Peterson was, to a significant degree, her link to the outside world.
It was noted that Peterson resigned from his position after his wife found out about the relationship.
He was later arrested in 2023.
Defence lawyer Sarah Lindop stated that Peterson recognised his actions were poorly chosen and acknowledged that his guilty pleas helped spare the victim from additional trauma.
Judge Hirst commented on the victim's vulnerability, describing her as an "extremely vulnerable young victim." and stressed the lasting damage caused by Peterson's conduct.
He described the effect on her as profoundly tragic.
The court also heard that Peterson pleaded guilty to two additional charges involving encouraging or inciting sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder.
He is now subject to a lifelong restraining order preventing contact with the victim and must register as a sex offender for life.
