June 2008 Man admits sex with girl, aged 12 A MAN has been jailed indefinitely for having sex with a 12-year-old girl. Darren Cox, 25, was also placed on the sexual offenders list for life after admitting two sexual acts with the schoolgirl. Robert Sadd, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court that Cox, of Sudbury, had been at a house with the girl when he removed her clothes and his own and started having sex. Cox, who was 23 at the time of the offences, also admitted to police that he had assaulted the girl by putting his hands down her trousers. He pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child. Judge John Devaux told Cox he would not even be considered for parole until he had served 15 months less the 101 days he had already spent in custody. He said: “I am of the firm view that you pose a significant risk of substantial harm and further offences to girls under the age of 16 and I am required by law to imprison you. “You are showing signs of being a sexual predator even though you are immature for your age.” Christopher Morgan, mitigating, said the offences came to light after the girl told schoolfriends about them. He said Cox had made a full and frank admission of guilt “at the earliest possible time,” which was not the usual action of a sexual predator, adding that the girl had been a “willing participant” in the acts. He said a psychologist’s report said Cox had an IQ of only 65. “The report said he is of low intelligence and it concluded that Mr Cox looks for sex with someone younger, more akin to his own mental age, and that means girls between the ages of 13 to 16,” the court heard. In such a case there was often the risk of serious physical harm but this was not the situation with Cox Judge Devaux said: “The girl’s mother has said that what happened to her had changed her daughter’s life and everyone else in the family had been affected.” He also ordered that Cox be banned from working with children indefinitely and a sexual offences prevention order placed on him, restricting contact with girls under 16 on his release from prison.