LEE COOPER SENTENCED IN MANCHESTER FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF TEENAGER

In August 2002, a brave 16-year-old girl publicly shared her harrowing experience of being sexually abused by her stepfather, Lee Cooper, from Moston, in an effort to encourage other victims to come forward. Laura revealed that she had been sexually abused from the age of 10, with Cooper living in her family home in Moston. It was almost five years before she found the courage to tell her family about the abuse.

Today, Laura waived her right to anonymity and urged women who experienced similar abuse as children to report it to the police, saying, "I was frightened to tell anyone about it, but I eventually told my auntie what had happened. This has completely changed my life, I have no confidence. It has also affected my relationships; for a long time, I was not comfortable around my own dad because of what my stepdad had done to me."

She added, "I would encourage anyone who this has happened to not to keep it a secret. My message to them would be 'It’s not your fault. Tell someone about it.' This man will probably serve eight months in jail, but I will be coping with it for the rest of my life."

Lee Cooper, aged 31, a heating engineer residing on Dresden Street, Moston, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Laura twice weekly when she was 10 and 11 years old. He instructed her not to tell her mother and often gave her money afterward. Cooper also admitted to committing an earlier act of indecent assault. The court noted that he had three prior convictions for outraging public decency following incidents where he exposed himself to women in Manchester city centre.

Cooper was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 16 months in prison, narrowly avoiding a longer sentence due to a recent change in the law. His victim expressed her opinion about the sentence, stating, "I think he will serve about eight months, but I will be dealing with this for the rest of my life."

Laura’s mother, Julie, aged 37, expressed her feelings about the case: "I feel guilty that this happened to my daughter and I will never allow another man to live in my house. Because of it, I have lost all trust."

Jeremy Alsker, defending Cooper, commented, "He is in a stable relationship with a young child, but the emergence of these charges after several years will likely ruin his chances of building a new life." After completing his prison term, Cooper will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Victims of adult and child abuse can access support from specialized police services at 0161 872 5050 or the Rape and Sexual Abuse line at 0207 837 1600. Children seeking help can contact Childline at 0800 1111 or the NSPCC Helpline at 0800 800 500.