MARK JACKSON'S SHOCKING CRIME IN COVENTRY: PLYING UNDERAGE GIRLS WITH VODKA AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS LEAD TO 16-YEAR SENTENCE
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Coventry community, Mark Jackson, a 34-year-old man from Sandy Lane, Radford, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for a series of heinous crimes involving underage girls.The offenses include the rape of two girls under the influence of alcohol and the sexual assault of a third girl, all of whom were minors at the time of the incidents.
Jackson’s crimes came to light in May after an ambulance was called to assist one of the girls, who was found heavily intoxicated in a local park.
During her subsequent hospital visit, she disclosed the details of her ordeal, which led to a police investigation.
The case was brought before Warwick Crown Court, where Jackson faced multiple charges related to sexual assault and abuse.
The court heard that Jackson had initially met two girls, aged 14 and 15, near a shop on Sandy Lane in April 2014.
The girls approached him requesting him to buy vodka, and in an attempt to appear older and increase their chances of obtaining alcohol, the older girl falsely claimed she was 16.
Jackson complied, purchasing the drinks and giving her a card with his contact details, instructing her to contact him if they needed more alcohol.
Over the following days, the girls maintained contact with Jackson, and on Good Friday, they visited his flat three times.
During these visits, they consumed large quantities of vodka and whisky.
On the final visit, late at night, the girls, having consumed so much alcohol that one of them became sick, sneaked out of their homes to return to Jackson’s flat.
It was during this visit that Jackson committed the first of his sexual offenses, forcing the girls to remove their onesies and performing oral sex on each of them.
He also raped the 15-year-old girl and, at one point, locked their phones in his car to prevent them from calling for help.
Further allegations revealed that Jackson had also assaulted a third girl, a 15-year-old, on a subsequent occasion.
During this incident, he again engaged in sexual activity with her against her will.
The court was told that Jackson was aware the girls were under 16 but dismissed their ages casually, stating, “Well, I’m a single man.
Why not?
They looked young, but whether they were 16 or under, it’s hard to tell.” When questioned about his attraction to the girls, Jackson admitted to being attracted but denied any kissing or sexual touching, claiming there had been no sexual activity.
Prosecutor Peter Arnold detailed the sequence of events, emphasizing Jackson’s predatory behavior and his exploitation of the girls’ vulnerabilities.
The court heard that Jackson had encouraged the girls to lie to their parents about their whereabouts and had taken advantage of their intoxication to commit these serious offenses.
Following a four-day deliberation, the jury at Warwick Crown Court convicted Jackson of all charges by a majority of 10-2.
The verdict included convictions for raping a 14-year-old girl, assaulting her by penetration, and orally raping her and her 15-year-old friend in April 2014.
Jackson was also found guilty of assaulting another 15-year-old girl the following month and engaging in sexual activity with her as an alternative to a charge of assault by penetration.
Judge de Bertodano, addressing Jackson during sentencing, condemned his actions sharply.
He stated, “These girls you took to your flat and gave them alcohol.
These were girls who should not have been drinking, and when they did drink they were clearly incapable of dealing with it.
On two occasions when you had more than one girl in your flat they became so drunk they were clearly not in a state to consent to anything at all.
On the first occasion you took advantage of that to rape two girls, and on the second you indecently assaulted another girl.
One was only 14 at the time, and the other two were 15.
Despite knowing all this, you jumped at the opportunity to provide alcohol to girls who were half your age and encouraged them to lie to their parents about their whereabouts.
I have absolutely no doubt you did this with one motive in mind.
You have a daughter of the same age these girls were at the time.
You didn’t care about their wellbeing, you just wanted to have sex with them.” As part of his sentence, Jackson was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the danger he poses to the community.
The case has highlighted the dangers of predatory behavior and the importance of safeguarding minors from exploitation and abuse in Coventry and beyond.
