MAN JAILED AFTER APPROACHING CHILD AT BUS STOP AND GETTING THEM TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY
2018.A man exhibiting a 'Peter Pan Complex' engaged in inappropriate conduct with a schoolgirl before blocking her on social media following their sexual encounter.
Jordon Randall, aged 26, also persuaded another girl to exchange explicit photographs, subsequently blocking her as well.
He was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old and encouraging another victim to swap images.
Judge Heather Norton remarked that, under the current laws, if the victim had been just a few months older, the sentence could have been significantly longer, possibly in double digits.
Throughout the hour-long court session at Canterbury Crown Court, Randall wept, and one of his victims was present in the courtroom.
The victim stated in her impact statement that she was still a virgin at the time and was so badly affected emotionally that she considered taking her own life.
It was also reported that she later went missing and was found on Rochester Bridge, expressing a desire to end her pain.
She described her ordeal, stating, “The past two years have been an horrific journey...
because the events of May 2016 play in my mind day in and day out.
I (later) began to self-harm, struggling to keep my pain under control.” According to court proceedings, Randall initiated communication with the 13-year-old through Snapchat, and within days, agreed to meet her.
The two eventually met in a Gillingham car park, where Randall drove the girl to a remote woodland area, and they engaged in protected sex.
Prosecutor Tim Forster explained that after dropping her off, Randall blocked her on social media.
He also stated that Randall was arrested following an anonymous tip-off, and investigators found that around the same period, he was grooming another 14-year-old girl.
After receiving a topless photo from this second girl, Randall again blocked her on social media.
Investigators reviewed messages between Randall and his victims, in which he admitted that he was at risk of imprisonment if caught and urged one girl to keep their communication secret.
During the hearing, defending, Daniel Stephenson argued that Randall’s immaturity and his 'Peter Pan Complex' contributed to his preference for being around young people.
Judge Norton, in sending him to prison, said it had been "systematic grooming" of children "designed to improve your own self-worth" at the expense of the feelings of his victims.
She also criticised the fact it had taken two years for the case to get to court which was both “unacceptable and cruel” to the victims and the defendant.
Acting detective sergeant, Paul Edwards, said: "Randall has proven himself to be a manipulative predator, deliberately engaging with children and using their vulnerability to fulfil his sexual gratification.
"He presents a very real danger to children and I welcome the sentence he has received.
"This behaviour is not acceptable and I would like to commend the victims who helped the investigation and pursue justice."
