CONNOR HEGARTY SENTENCED IN PRESTON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN SKELMERSDALE
A 27-year-old man named Connor Hegarty from Fairburn, Skelmersdale, was convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl and attempting to groom her even after her mother discovered their messages.Hegarty inappropriately touched the girl and sent her indecent messages, which went unnoticed until her mother found the incriminating communications and confronted him, according to Lancs Live.
Following her courage in revealing the full extent of his grooming and abuse, the victim was subjected to a tough and traumatic court process, with Hegarty choosing to avoid court appearances and evade police for a time.
She provided a heartfelt victim impact statement, describing how his actions caused her to suffer panic attacks and night terrors.
Hegarty, of Fairburn in Skelmersdale, ultimately appeared before Preston Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child.
He initially denied the charges, forcing the young girl to give evidence against him in court.
Prosecutor Jacob Dean told the court that the offences occurred in 2017 when Hegarty was 23 and living in Skelmersdale.
He manipulated the girl into keeping their communications secret, arranged for her to sleep at his house, and during that night, he gave her alcohol, touched her inappropriately, and encouraged her to perform a sex act on him.
Despite her protests that it was a bad idea, Hegarty pulled her jeans down and attempted to perform oral sex before she told him to stop and went to sleep.
Over the following days, Hegarty messaged her, claiming that last night was ‘amazing,’ asking when she would be ready for sex, and urging her not to tell anyone.
The girl’s mother later found explicit messages on her iPad, including references to doing more next time and messages like ‘your ar** is mine.’ At that time, she knew Hegarty was older but unaware of his exact age.
The mother confronted Hegarty directly, who admitted to liking the girl but claimed no physical contact had occurred.
She shared screenshots of the messages with Hegarty and his mother, though still unaware of the full extent of their interactions.
It wasn't until two years later, while watching a soap opera featuring a grooming storyline, that the girl felt able to speak openly about her experience.
At that point, they initially chose not to report Hegarty to police, as the girl was focused on her schooling.
However, Hegarty later moved back into the area and continued communicating with her.
They eventually met in person, and the girl confided in a friend and school staff, leading to a police interview.
Hegarty was arrested; he denied any physical relationship or meeting the girl on the day of their encounter, claiming he was out of the area.
Authorities seized his phone, uncovering the truth about his lies.
Despite denying his misconduct, a trial proceeded, during which the girl was cross-examined and had to answer allegations that she lied about the alcohol and sexual contact, even claiming she had accessed his Facebook to send messages to herself.
Hegarty refused to attend many hearings and evaded police, resulting in his arrest and six weeks' imprisonment for bail violations.
In his victim impact statement, the girl detailed the long-lasting damage caused by his actions, including ongoing panic attacks, nightmares, and the challenge of dealing with rumours after police first reported her case.
She expressed difficulty trusting others and fear of physical contact, stating, “I feel I have had part of my childhood taken away from me.” During sentencing, defense lawyer Beverley Hackett emphasized Hegarty’s remorse, describing his shame and referencing his troubled upbringing to explain his behavior, suggesting he felt more comfortable around children.
Judge Graham Knowles QC harshly dismissed any credit for Hegarty’s guilty plea, noting it was entered after the trial had already begun and while the girl was giving evidence.
The judge made it clear that he considered the victim blameless, stating, “I want to be very clear what happened with [the victim] and everything that went on between you and her was not in any way or to any extent her fault.
Not at all.” The judge imposed an indefinite restraining order banning Hegarty from contacting the girl, along with a sexual harm prevention order preventing him from interacting with girls under 16.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register and sentenced to six years in prison.
