September 2023 Man, 20, who raped vulnerable young girl is jailed A child rapist from Leeds who asked his 12-year-old female victim, if she could “keep a secret” was caught after girl’s DNA found on his underwear and CCTV showed them together. Calum Stephenson denied any wrongdoing following his arrest, claiming the girl had made the allegations up, but remained silent after being confronted with the evidence. He was jailed for a total of nine years at Leeds Crown Court this morning after admitting two counts of rape and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. Judge Neil Clark told him: “You understand how serious these offences are. They are cruel offences. You appear to show limited insight into what you have done.” Prosecutor Tom Holland said that Stephenson, who was 19 at the time, had met the girl on the stairwell of a block of flats in June last year and asked her age, which she told him, before asking if she could keep a secret. He then sexually assaulted her. A matter of weeks later, he sexually assaulted her again. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, confessed what had happened to a third person and the police were called. She said she was reluctant to do as he said but did not want to upset him. Stephenson, of High Ridge Avenue, Rothwell, denied the allegations during his interview, then gave no comments when they said the victim’s DNA was found and the CCTV footage from the stairwell of the flats supported her statement Mr Holland said: “It’s plain that she was and is still is a vulnerable child.” In a victim impact statement she said she avoids going out, has flashbacks and sometimes feel responsible for what happened. She said: “The trauma is going to be with me forever.” Stephenson was given an eight-year jail sentence, and a one-year extended period on licence. He was also handed a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and will have to sign on the se offender register for life also.