PAEDOPHILE AVOIDS JAIL OVER CHILD SEX ATTACK AFTER JUDGE SAYS 'IT WAS A ONE-OFF'
A paedophile who carried out a sex attack on a child has avoided time behind bars after a judge told him 'it was a one-off'.Scott Hennefer, a resident of Cradley Heath, admitted to the court that he was unsure why he attacked the young person but suggested that it might have been an attempt to find comfort.
During proceedings at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Judge Laura Hobson chose an unconventional approach for such a grave offence, opting not to imprison Hennefer.
Instead, she expressed her belief that the most effective way to safeguard the public was not by depriving him of his freedom, but by placing him under probation supervision for three years.
As the verdict was announced, a person in the viewing gallery reportedly pointed at Hennefer, which led Judge Hobson to ask the court clerk to make an announcement via the public address system to check if a police officer was present in the courtroom.
After handing Hennefer a suspended sentence, she told him: "Because of what's happened in the public gallery, it's important that everything is calm and that person does not have any contact with you." Judge Hobson told the sex offender, 33, that she hoped to talk to a police officer about 'seeing if action could be taken against that person in the public gallery'.
She then decided to place the courtroom in chambers - a private session closed to both the public and press.
The court had heard how Hennefer's victim disclosed to her mother in August 2024 that she had been sexually assaulted by him, with the crime reported to police.
When asked why she had not told her mum sooner, the girl said she 'was scared'.
Hennefer insisted in his police interview that the child 'had lied or fabricated' what had happened, prosecutor Alexander Pritchard-Jones said.
Mr Pritchard-Jones added: "The defendant is a clear risk to children." Olivia Appleby, defending, said Hennefer 'relies' on his family for 'general living support' and so does not believe he would 'cope' in prison.
His pre-sentence report also indicated that he would be 'vulnerable' in custody and 'would not cope', Ms Appleby added.
Hennefer - who was of previous good character - has mental health difficulties and had additional needs in school.
The sex offender has a 'low risk of general reoffending' and has 'expressed a willingness' to work with the probation service, Ms Appleby said.
She added: "This defendant clearly wishes to turn his back on this - what he describes as a spontaneous offence." Sentencing, Judge Hobson said: "Sexual activity with a child is rightly taken extremely seriously by the criminal justice system.
"These offences might be committed in just seconds but they can often have lifelong consequences for the victims." She added: "The victim [in this case] is clearly a very bright girl who did exactly the right thing by telling her mother what you had done to her." The judge said she was unsure why Hennefer committed the crime, telling him: "It seems you don't know either." But she told the court that the paedophile had said he was 'seeking some comfort while experiencing poor mental health' at the time he abused his victim.
Judge Hobson pointed to Hennefer's 'significant mental health problems' which previously required hospitalisation and the support of a psychiatric nurse.
She told the defendant he had shown 'genuine remorse' and that she believed the offence was 'linked to your poor mental health'.
Judge Hobson went on: "I'm prepared to accept this was a completely one-off [offence] - something you did without thinking through your motivation or your consequences." The judge told the sex offender his 'risk can be managed in the community' with the support of the probation service, which meant she could suspend his sentence.
Hennefer, of Grange Road, Cradley Heath, admitted one count of sexual assault of a child under 13.