ROBERT JONES FROM NEWARK ESCAPES PRISON AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TEENAGER

A 69-year-old man from Newark, Robert Jones, narrowly avoided a prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at a property in Newark on September 18, 2022. Jones, who is also known by the nickname Paul, committed the assault in a private residence, where he entered the bedroom of the young victim, shutting the door behind him to isolate her from others.

According to prosecutor Adrian Amer, Jones laid a £20 note on the bed before making his move. The girl, in a gesture of gratitude, went to hug him, but Jones placed his hands on her shoulders and asked for a kiss. The teenager initially leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but Jones turned his head, causing his lips to touch the corner of her mouth. He then kissed her again on the lips, an act that the court recognized as a sexual assault.

Following the incident, Jones sent a message to the girl, expressing remorse and confusion. The message read: “I’m very sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. You have every right to be upset with me. I hope you can forgive me.” The victim reported the incident to the police, leading to Jones being charged with sexual assault. Initially, he pleaded not guilty, and during police interviews, he admitted to kissing the girl but insisted it was ‘not sexual.’ However, just before his trial was set to begin in December of the previous year, Jones changed his plea to guilty.

During the court hearing, the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shared her emotional distress. She explained that she has been living in constant fear of Jones and that her trust in current and future relationships has been severely damaged. She stated, “At the time of the incident I did not know it was sexual assault. I knew what happened wasn’t right but I hadn’t labelled it.” She also expressed her frustration, saying, “I was confused and I didn’t know what happened.”

The victim criticized Jones for continuing to deny the assault publicly, despite his guilty plea, and expressed her desire for him to admit the truth so that others would believe her. The court heard that Jones’s behavior has caused her significant emotional harm and has undermined her confidence.

Representing Jones, solicitor Mr. Smith Wilde described him as a man of good character with no previous convictions. He acknowledged that Jones’s actions were “an absolutely stupid mistake” and highlighted his health issues, including type 2 diabetes, which would prevent him from completing unpaid work as part of his sentence.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge Sampson emphasized the seriousness of Jones’s actions. He stated, “In my view you have sought to minimise what happened. Any denial on your part was clearly designed to mislead other people - it’s completely contrary to all the evidence. This was not a mere mistake on your part, it was more than that. It was testing the waters and the first step towards grooming [the victim].” The judge acknowledged that the victim had the presence of mind to reject Jones’s advances and report him.

As part of his punishment, Jones has been placed on the sex offenders register for five years, issued a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and sentenced to a one-year community order. The community order includes a three-month curfew monitored by an electronic tag, and he is required to complete 25 days of rehabilitation. Additionally, Jones must pay £1,000 to cover prosecution costs and a further £1,000 as a victim surcharge.