Balaclava-clad sex attacker subjected schoolgirl to "every woman's worst nightmare" in Sheffield woodland
This is the face of a depraved attacker who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Sheffield woodland before trying to drag her into bushes to rape her.
The girl Ben Johnson preyed upon, whilst wearing gloves and a balaclava bearing a crossbones, managed to fight him off, and escape before he was able to enact his plan, Sheffield Crown Court heard.
Jailing Johnson, Judge Peter Hampton described the attack as “every woman and girl’s worst nightmare.”
Johnson was not known to the girl, and attacked her as she was walking along a wooded area behind Deerlands Avenue in Parson Cross, known locally as the “Tongue Gutter” area, in the “middle of the day.”
A hearing held on September 15, 2025 heard how Johnson, aged 38, carried out an almost identical attack on another teenage girl in the exact same wooded area, resulting in an attempted rape conviction and three-year prison sentence, in 2015.
Detailing the most recent attack, Judge Hampton continued: “You were stood in a treeline, you were wearing a balaclava with a crossbones motif…You were dressed all in black and wearing gloves.”
The court heard that Johnson emerged from the treeline, exposing himself and committing a lewd act.
The schoolgirl subsequently began walking quicker in a bid to leave the area but Johnson “pursued” her, before “grabbing her from behind” and sexually assaulting her, said Zaiban Alam, prosecuting.
He was found guilty of the latest crimes after a trial.
Judge Hampton said: “You dragged her into the bushes sexually touching her with yourself exposed…it’s unsurprising that the jury convicted you of attempted rape. You were attempting to rape her.
“It only remained an attempt because you picked the wrong girl. She was incredibly brave and fought you off.
“She ran, she escaped, and reported the offence.”
In a statement read to the court, the schoolgirl - who is entitled to lifelong anonymity - asked: “Was I his target all along...why did he invade my personal space, my dignity?”
The schoolgirl detailed how she has tried to put the attack out of her mind, but it has resulted in her mental health deteriorating, resulting in her feeling depressed, taking an overdose and self-harming.
She explained how physical contact from her boyfriend now triggers a negative reaction, and she regularly finds herself becoming “angry, frustrated and quick to temper.”
Summarising the schoolgirl’s statement, Ms Alam said she has also been “self-blaming,” questioning why she “didn’t take a different route” on the day of the attack, and what would have happened if he had attacked someone else.
But Judge Hampton commended the schoolgirl for her bravery, both in fighting Johnson off and in reporting the attack which has resulted in him being taken off the streets.
Sign up to our new court newsletter, where we seek to ensure that justice is not just done but seen to be done. Register today and receive our rundown of the key stories from the courts over the past seven days.
“She’s done her community, and the public, a great service and the court’s grateful to her,” he said.
The court heard that whilst Johnson took efforts to disguise his appearance with a balaclava, gloves and dark clothing, the schoolgirl noted he had blue eyes and was still able to identify him during an identity parade.
Judge Hampton revealed how Johnson essentially identified himself to police, when he approached officers guarding a cordon around the scene of the crime, and asked them if they were “looking” for him. Johnson, who could be heard sighing through much of his sentencing hearing, also had an injury on his face, matching the area where the schoolgirl said she had punched him as she fought him off.
Johnson, formerly of Holgate Road, Parson Cross, but more recently of no fixed abode, was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of exposure.
He denied the offences, but jurors convicted him of all four offences at the conclusion of a trial at the same court.
The court heard how Johnson, who has a criminal record of 19 previous offences from 10 convictions, was in breach of both a suspended sentence for an offence of burglary and a community order for failing to adhere to notification requirements relating to the sex offenders’ register.
Defending, Gordon Stables acknowledged that because Johnson has been convicted after a trial there is “very little” that could be advanced in mitigation.
Referencing Johnson’s culpability for the offences, Mr Stables said it would be for Judge Hampton to determine whether there was a “trigger” from when the schoolgirl “laughed” and the defendant seemed to “change and react” to that.
Mr Stables also accepted that Johnson’s previous convictions for attempted rape, along with an offence of assault by penetration arising out of the same 2015 incident, aggravated his position.
Judge Hampton jailed Johnson for 15 years, and handed him a five-year extended licence period after deeming him to be a dangerous offender, bringing his total sentence to one of 20 years. Johnson will be required to serve two-thirds or 10 years of his 15-year sentence behind bars, the court heard.
Judge Hampton told Johnson: “Your offending represents every woman and girl’s worst nightmare. Moreover, you display predatory behaviour.”
“You approached [the complainant] wearing a balaclava. It must have been terrifying.”
Judge Hampton agreed with the author of Johnson’s pre-sentence report that he poses a risk to lone females, concluding that he poses a serious risk to members of the public.
In addition to Johnson’s 20-year sentence, Judge Hampton also granted an indefinite restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the complainant.