March 2009 Theatre worker groped under-age girl A theatre technician who groped a schoolgirl and kissed her “in an erotic fashion” has been sentenced to a three-year community order with supervision and told by a judge that “young girls have to be protected against themselves”. Stuart England, aged 25, of Martins Close, Wells, met the girl – who cannot be named for legal reasons – while working at  Strode Theatre, in Street. England has not been employed at Strode Theatre since May 2008. Taunton Crown Court heard that the girl regarded herself as a good listener after he told her that he had girlfriend trouble. They started texting each other and he suggested meeting up. He later admitted kissing her and touching her breasts and maintained he thought she was 16, said Ian Halliday, prosecuting. She decided not to speak to him again after finding out he was engaged to a woman more his own age. Judge Graham Hume Jones said it could be argued that England was in a position of trust, being involved with people who were using the theatre, and had taken advantage of a young girl. He said: “You may not have been charged with anything, but you have been involved in this sort of behaviour before and warned about it. “The theme running through the report is that you do not think what you have done is terribly wrong. “Young girls have to be protected against themselves. “It’s easy for a person of your age to take advantage of young girls and that’s the serious aspect of this case. Fortunately it did not go any further, but it might have done”. England, who admitted sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, was also ordered to attend a sex offenders’ programme and given a Sex Offenders’ Prevention Order for five years. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years and told to pay £700 costs.