Sheffield sex-offender threatened to kill girl’s pet if she told told anyone about their ‘wrestling’
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on April 7 how Barry Henson, aged 33, of Swanbourne Road, Sheffield Lane Top, Sheffield, admitted indecency with a child and an indecent assault against the same female child when he was a boy.
Ian Goldsack, prosecuting, said the offences happened on two occasions in March, 2000, when the defendant was aged 12.
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Hide AdThe complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police in August, 2018, Henson had referred to the offending as “wrestling”.
Henson had also threatened to kill her pet if she told anyone, according to Mr Goldsack.
The defendant told police he had felt tortured during the intervening years and he admitted that “wrestling” was a phrase which had been used.
His victim who complained to potentially protect others said Henson had “taken her life”, and “her innocence” and “destroyed her dignity”.
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Hide AdTaryn Turner, defending, said: “This is a young man who did something extremely stupid and one is tempted to say ‘experimental’ and it was cleary wrong.”
Mrs Turner added the defendant who has struggled with his conscience for many years was raised within a chaotic household, was bullied at school and suffers with autism.
She said he has managed to lead a normal, law-abiding life and realises what he did was wrong and there were no further offences.
Recorder Nicholas Lumley QC sentenced Henson to a three-year community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a 12-week curfew.
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Hide AdHenson was made subject to a sex-offender notification requirement for five years.