LEE HANSON EXMOUTH PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL

In May 2019, a disturbing case of child sexual abuse came to light involving Lee Hanson, a man from Exeter Road in Exmouth. Hanson was found guilty of a series of heinous crimes committed against a young girl, whose life was profoundly affected by his actions. The abuse spanned over a period when the girl was just 10 and 11 years old, during which Hanson exploited her innocence and naivety on multiple occasions.

It was only when she reached the age of 13 and received sex education at school that she fully understood the gravity of what had happened to her. The shock of this realization had a devastating impact on her mental health and overall well-being. Hanson, aged 55 at the time, admitted to two counts of oral rape, two counts of assault by penetration, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of sexual assault. His actions were described as systematic and calculated, with Hanson grooming the girl to gain her trust before committing these serious offences.

Hanson was sentenced to a total of eight years and eight months in prison, with an additional one-year extension on his license. The court, presided over by Recorder Simon Levene at Exeter Crown Court, also ordered that Hanson be placed on the sex offenders' register for life. The judge emphasized the distressing nature of the case, stating, "The details of this case are extremely distressing. Your victim did not realize the gravity of what you did until later, but when she did, her life fell to pieces. She was seriously affected and suffered serious psychological harm from the acts you perpetrated against her. These were an extremely serious series of offences."

Prosecutor Miss Rachel Drake explained that the offences only came to light when the girl, now an adult, confided in her mother about the abuse she endured over approximately 18 months when she was between the ages of 10 and 11. The victim only fully understood that Hanson’s actions were wrong during her teenage years, after receiving sexual education in Year Nine. She recounted that Hanson had told her at the time that it was "our little secret," which contributed to her confusion and sense of betrayal.

The victim’s impact statement revealed the profound psychological toll the abuse took on her. She expressed her feelings of confusion and discomfort, stating, "I thought because he was an adult that what he was doing was okay. I did not think he would do anything to harm me because he was a grown-up. I was too young to know anything different at the time but it made me feel uncomfortable and weird. When I realised that it was not okay, I thought it was gross. I wonder if my self-hate issues would have happened if not for his abuse." She also described how she began to self-harm, developed an eating disorder, and was eventually asked to leave school due to her increasingly antagonistic attitude.

Hanson appeared at Exeter Crown Court last month, where he faced nine serious sexual offence charges, including the rape of a girl under 13. He pleaded guilty to eight of these charges. The court was informed that Hanson had repeatedly sexually assaulted and abused the girl after grooming her to gain her trust. Following his plea, Hanson was remanded to Exeter prison until his sentencing, scheduled for May 20, 2019, where he will face the full consequences of his actions.