Paedophile given indeterminate jail sentence

Mar 14 2008 icWales

A convicted paedophile who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl and had sex with a 14-year-old was given an indeterminate jail sentence today.

Shaun Jerome, 24, committed the offences in 2007, just two years after being imprisoned for having sex with another underage girl he had groomed on the internet.

Unemployed Jerome, of Oakleaf Drive, Pontprennau, Cardiff, began chatting to a 14-year-old girl online.

The pair met in person in July last year and soon developed a sexual relationship.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the pair broke up but discussed getting back together when she turned 16.

Prosecuting, Caroline Rees said that during the same period last year Jerome joined a music group where he met the 12-year-old girl.

He sexually assaulted the girl while she was watching cartoons on a computer and on another occasion, while the pair were watching television together.

Following a tip-off, police questioned Jerome who denied the allegations of the 12-year-old and said she had a crush on him.

But they found a pair of her knickers in a tube in his bedroom and seized his laptop which contained more than 900 images of children.

At a previous hearing, Jerome admitted assault of a child under 13 by penetration, sexual assault of a child under 13, and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

He also pleaded guilty to 15 counts of making indecent photos of a child and four of possessing indecent images of a child.

In mitigation, Richard Twomlow said Jerome had pleaded guilty to all counts at the earliest opportunity.

Judge Philip Richards said: “You pose a grave risk to the public of serious personal injury and I refer in particular to the psychological injury that is likely to be suffered by young girls caused by you committing further offences.”

He said Jerome’s actions would impact upon his two immediate victims and would also have “unknown and unforeseeable consequences” for the young children in the photographs he possessed.

He gave Jerome an indeterminate jail sentence and told him he would have to serve a minimum of three years in prison before being eligible for parole.