CHRISTOPHER EASON FROM ESTON JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING SCHOOLGIRL IN TEESSIDE

In June 2011, Christopher Eason, 23, of Fountains Crescent, Eston, was sentenced to eight years in prison after sexually assaulting and grooming a young girl over a period of more than five years. The crimes included giving her money, showing her pornographic films online, and persuading her to imitate sexually explicit videos. The court heard that the abuse began when the girl was only seven years old.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby stated that Eason told the girl he wanted to have full sex with her when she turned 16, and on two occasions, he used force. The girl confided her experiences to a teaching support assistant at age 13, leading to police involvement and a recorded interview. When asked why she hadn’t reported earlier, she explained, “her mother was ill and she wanted to protect her from further stress and difficulty.”

Defense lawyer Ian West acknowledged that the offences exceeded the custodial threshold but requested that the case not be classified as a typical rape. He said, “The impact of this offending is always unpleasant and he appreciates that what he has done is wrong and he is remorseful for that.”

Judge Michael Taylor sentenced Eason to eight years in prison, imposed an indefinite sexual offences prevention order preventing him from unsupervised contact with children under 16, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. Eason pleaded guilty to two counts of serious sexual assault, six counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

The judge emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “You robbed her of her innocence and you ruined her life. The seriousness of the offences is difficult to overlook.”