April 2021 Sick predator preyed on 11 teenage girls during campaign of abuse A twisted predator who preyed on 11 teenage girls across East Yorkshire during a campaign of abuse left them feeling worthless, ashamed and suicidal. Callum Lewis, 21, of Gemel Road, Burton Pidsea, committed the offences over two and a half years between the ages of 16 and 18, starting in summer 2016 and was convicted of his crimes by a jury this year. Depraved Lewis was charged with 15 child sex offences, including eight counts of causing a person under 18 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual assault, three counts of possession of an indecent image and two of taking indecent images. Hull Crown Court heard Lewis contacted his victims on social media sites, manipulating them into feeling sorry for him and forcing them into receiving obscene images or sending indecent images. In some cases, he would persuade them to meet up with him and he would then sexually abuse them. The worst of Lewis’ offending was when he took the virginity of a 14-year-old girl in the back of his car in a Withernsea lay-by when he was 18. His victims were spread across the whole of the East Riding and Hull, which showed a willingness for him to travel around the region, taking them in his car to spots they would be isolated and unable to get away from him. One of his victims was as young as 13 and he asked her to send explicit images to him and he sent pictures of his erect penis and of him masturbating to other girls aged up to 15, some of who sent explicit pictures back to him after he demanded them. The court heard that Lewis also got a 15-year-old to masturbate him in his car in a secluded spot and also took photos and videos of young girls under 18 performing oral sex on him and having sex with him without their knowledge. Statements were read in court which were made by the victims, in which many of them expressed their feelings of hurt and shame at Lewis’ actions, with one girl even becoming suicidal about what happened to her. After a jury found Lewis guilty, Judge Mark Bury sentenced him to six years in a young offender’s institute. Judge Bury commended the victims for their bravery in coming forward and admonished Lewis for his heinous crimes. “All of the victims have made victim personal statements,” said Judge Bury. “At the time of this offending they were young and impressionable teenage girls, some ages as young as 13. “They have now grown up somewhat since your offending against them. “They can now see your behaviour for what in fact it was – humiliating, exploitative and demeaning, carried out for your own sexual gratification, with no regard to the feeling of the girls concerned. “When you had got what you had wanted, or couldn’t get what you wanted, you ditched them. “It is clear that they have all been badly affected by their experiences and the harm that you have caused must be reflected in the sentences I am going to pass.”