Teenage girl’s stepfather storms out of court after man who had sexual activity with her when she was underage avoids prison sentence

A teenage girl’s irate stepfather stormed out of court after a young man who had sexual activity with her when she was under-age avoided a prison sentence.

Jack Cross (19) of Westlea Road, Leamington, had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to three charges of sexual activity with a child.

Cross, who it was said has now moved out of the area, was given a 12-month community order, with 80 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity for 25 days, and ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

And after being told by the girl’s mother that she would consider a payment of compensation from Cross to be ‘an insult,’ Recorder Charles Falk ordered him to pay £700 costs.

Prosecutor Peter Cooper said that in 2017 Cross and the girl had arranged to meet after chatting on social media.

Cross then began continually asking her for sex, despite knowing she was only 15.

There then followed three occasions when there was sexual activity between them, said Mr Cooper.

Mr Cooper pointed out that in a statement the girl says she has suffered flashbacks and felt suicidal over what happened.

And Recorder Charles Falk commented: “I have read her victim impact statement, and it makes grim reading.”

Amy Jackson, defending, said: “He accepts he had come to realise before the sexual activity occurred that she was under 16. He accepts this was an illegal activity.”

“He accepts he repeatedly asked, but did not at any stage intend to force her to do something she didn’t want to do.”

Miss Jackson suggested a pre-sentence report had made ‘a sensible proposal’ of one-to-one working on sexual offending with Cross, either under a suspended sentence or a community order.

She added that as a result of ‘harassment and threats against him', Cross and his family have left the area, and he was now working as a sous chef.

Recorder Falk remarked that sometimes in relation to sexual offences compensation was ordered to be paid to the victim.

He asked the girl’s mother whether that was something which would be accepted or be considered to be ‘adding insult to injury’ – and she replied ‘the second one.’

Sentencing Cross, Recorder Falk told him: “You are now a young man of 19, two weeks off from your 20th birthday. These offences all took place in 2017.

“It is important for you to understand that the law draws a line on a young person’s 16th birthday, and you fell on the wrong side of it. You were well aware of what you were doing, but you continued to go ahead.

“What you need to understand is that children have a right to be protected. That is why the law is there, and the law expects other people to accept those boundaries.

“You were still a young person yourself, and not yet an adult in the eyes of the law. But as the older participant you should have shown responsibility, but you sought to persuade and cajole and inveigle her to take part in sexual intercourse.”

The judge observed that there had been ‘considerable delay’ in the case being dealt with – because Cross had faced trial on ‘a more serious matter you were acquitted of,’ and that he had to sentence him as he would have done at the time.