JAMES BRYANT, BRISTOL SALVATION ARMY MEMBER AND FORMER NCA EMPLOYEE, JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF TEENAGE GIRL
A man from Bristol, James Bryant, a Salvation Army member based in the city and a former employee of the National Crime Agency, has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of engaging in sexual activities with a schoolgirl.The court heard that Bryant, 40, of Charter House Close in Nailsea, had been grooming and manipulating the girl from the age of 13.
During the trial at Bristol Crown Court, it was alleged that Bryant persuaded the teenage victim to send private images of herself and instructed her to touch herself over the phone.
The jury was told that Bryant and the girl subsequently had sex multiple times, both in Bristol and in a hotel.
On one occasion, they were joined by an adult woman, the court heard.
Bryant denied three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and also disputed 12 charges of sexual activity with a minor.
However, he admitted to three counts of sexual activity with a child.
He also faced allegations of sexual assault on a woman, which involved touching her bottom, but denied those charges.
After nearly 12 hours of jury deliberation, Bryant was found guilty of all counts except one charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three charges of sexual activity with a child.
Additionally, he was convicted of sexual assault.
His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC, the Recorder of Bristol, sentenced Bryant to ten years in prison.
He was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, was prohibited from working with children, and was issued a 16-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order aimed at preventing future offenses.
Prosecutor David Sapiecha highlighted Bryant's background, stating, “Bryant worked for the NCA and was a 'rising' member of a Salvation Army branch.” Sapiecha further explained, “The prosecution says the defendant was feeding his own sexual appetite and using a girl for that purpose, a girl too young, to achieve his own sexual desires.
He manipulated and moulded the victim into his own sex toy, willing to do what he wanted, and he did so in the context of a gross breach of trust.” Sapiecha added, “She said at the time she thought she loved him.
She thought that he loved her.
She was clearly impressionable.
He was in control, and she was much less robust than an adult.” The court also heard that on one occasion, Bryant and the girl engaged in a sexual threesome with another woman.
Bryant claimed that the encounter was spontaneous, and he joined in after the girl and woman initiated sexual activity.
The crimes came to light after the girl confided in her mother and sister, leading to police involvement.
Bryant also denied an allegation of touching a woman’s bottom around New Year’s Eve in 2011.
A spokesperson for the NSPCC in the South West commented on the case, saying, “This is an awful case where a child was victim to a campaign of sexual abuse.
Bryant manipulated and exploited a young teenage girl for his own sexual gratification, and it is right he now faces justice for his crimes.” The spokesperson emphasized the importance of supporting the victim, stating, “The victim has shown huge courage in coming forward, and it is crucial she now receives the appropriate support.”
