March 2013 Kristofer Henderson jailed for nine years for raping boy A MAN has been jailed for nine years for raping a very young boy. Kristofer Daniel Henderson, 24, was sentenced at Teesside Combined Court after pleading guilty to raping a child under the age of 13. The court heard Henderson assaulted the boy at a house in Selby on August 18 last year, and the boy told his mother what had happened that afternoon. Henderson was arrested that night, but gave a no comment interview to police. DNA evidence found on the boy’s clothing was tested and later found to match Henderson’s, the court heard. Tom Storey, prosecuting, said the boy told police “it felt disgusting”, and “it’s dangerous. You can’t do that”. A victim statement from his mother said the boy now “blames himself for everything that goes wrong”, was unable to sleep, and had undergone counselling with the NSPCC, which she did not feel had helped. Tina Dempster, for Henderson, said: “This is, by anybody’s standards, a truly dreadful case.” She said Henderson was “an intelligent man, but a man with difficulties”, and he hoped to work with the authorities while in prison to reduce any future risk of offending. Henderson looked pale and wept both as the circumstances and the sentence were read out. Judge John Walford told Henderson it was a dreadful and shocking case. He gave Henderson credit for a guilty plea, acknowledging it meant the boy would not have to appear before the court, and reduced the sentence from the possible 12 years to nine. He said: “I hope you take advantage of the programmes you undertake, and that will limit any risk that you impose.” Henderson was also issued with an indefinite sexual offences order. Det Sgt Adam Normanton, of York Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit, said: “The sentence brings to an end an extremely difficult and upsetting time for the victim and his family. They have been brave enough and strong enough to help the police investigate this horrific offence and Henderson’s refusal to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity has only caused them more heartache. “Henderson is a paedophile who has committed an evil act. He fully deserves the sentence which has been handed down by the court. I hope the outcome provides the victim and his family with some sense of justice despite the emotional toll the unmitigated horror will understandably have on them for some time to come.”