HULL HISTORIAN SHANE JESSOP JAILED FOR NINE YEARS AFTER SEXUAL OFFENSES ON TEENAGE GIRLS
A local historian from Hull has been sentenced to nine years in prison after committing a sexual assault against a teenage girl who was intoxicated and asleep following a party.Shane Jessop, 49, took advantage of the girl after she had passed out on a sofa, then led her upstairs to a bedroom where he undressed her, kissed her, and raped her.
The victim was left deeply distressed, stating that the "horrendous" incident would "haunt" her forever, as reported during the hearing at Hull Crown Court.
Jessop admitted to attacking the girl in September 2021.
Prosecutor Michele Stuart-Lofthouse explained that the teenage girl had been at a party in Hull, where Jessop had bought alcohol for the gathering.
The court heard that the girl became sick and was placed on a sofa, eventually passing out.
She woke around 11 pm to find Jessop on top of her.
He then carried her upstairs, undressed her, and committed the rape.
Jessop stopped after approximately three to five minutes once he heard another girl nearby, allowing the victim to get dressed.
Police were subsequently alerted, and Jessop later told officers, "My life is over, isn’t it?" The girl relayed that the incident was "horrendous" and that she has since suffered anxiety and flashbacks, including difficulty breathing as if she were "under water." She described ongoing struggles with focus, staying mostly in bed, and the impact on her family.
In a statement to the court, she said, "I haven't been out of the house really since the incident.
I spend a lot of my time in bed.
I know this has affected my mum and dad a lot.
I suffer a lot with anxiety.
I just sit and cry until I can't cry any more.
I get upset often for no reason.
My mum worries about me constantly.
This will haunt me forever." Jessop denied the charges of sexual assault against the same girl and another girl on the same day.
He also denied attempting to pervert the course of justice between October 1 and 10, by asking a third party to contact the victims and suggest they withdraw their allegations in exchange for money.
Police confirmed that Jessop had tried to pay off the victim through a third person before his court appearance but that these charges were not pursued.
Initially, Jessop denied all allegations and was set to face trial in April but later pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault.
In mitigation, Nigel Clive stated Jessop wished to apologise for his actions, noting that personal difficulties and substance abuse at the time contributed to his offending.
"His baser desires turned to criminality," Mr.
Clive said, adding that Jessop expressed deep remorse and wished he could undo his actions.
"He bitterly apologises.
If he could turn back time, he would." Clive emphasized that Jessop recognized the suffering caused, stating, "His actions have let everybody down terribly." He also clarified that Jessop did not intend to commit offenses, as he had been drinking at the time, and that he was a man with no previous convictions, with a background in local history and museum work.
Jessop led a quiet life prior to the incident.
His LinkedIn profile describes him as a customer advisor in Hull since November 2016, and earlier as a museum heritage assistant.
He studied at Hull University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in local and regional history, and previously volunteered as a tour guide on Hull’s Arctic Corsair trawler.
Judge Mark Bury sentenced Jessop, highlighting the severe impact on the victim, stating, "The effect of this offending has been severe as far as she is concerned.
She feels betrayed by your actions.
Her levels of anxiety have been raised significantly.
She now suffers flashbacks, breakdowns, and crying fits.
The whole family has had to suffer along with her." The court imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered Jessop to register as a sex offender for life.
