A 'cruel and cynical' man raped a teenage girl as she slept whilst on holiday at a Center Parcs.
The teenager's family let the defendant, Caden Crossley, stay in their lodge after he was kicked out of his own cabin following an argument with his partner, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
The girl, referred to as Child E, woke up to find the 29-year-old in her bedroom laying in her bed. The court heard how he went on to touch her sexually and rape her.
NottinghamshireLive reported that, upon handing down a 12-year jail sentence, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “You were turfed out of your own lodge and were effectively homeless and Child E’s mother took you in out of the kindness of her heart. She did not have to and I imagine she blames herself every single day for making that kind decision.
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“She has nothing to blame herself for, kindness and virtue is remarkably rare. You were taken into their lodge under their trust and you breached their trust in you in a cruel and cynical way.
“I have seen two drawings made by Child E and they are deeply troubling. Though I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist I have seen enough of over 40 years (of being a barrister and judge) to know they are indicative of someone who is troubled.
“She failed her exams, this bright, intelligent, worthy and decent child that you chose to abuse. The effect of what you did I have no doubt will live with her for the rest of her life and the only decent thing you did was plead guilty to spare her the indignity of having to relive in the witness box what you did to her.”
David Eager, prosecuting, said the sex attacks happened in the summer of 2022 at the Sherwood Forest retreat. He said the victim was staying at Center Parcs with her family and one night Crossley had been invited to stay in the same lodge having been kicked out of his own cabin following an argument he’d had with his partner.
The prosecutor said she woke early in the morning to find him lying in her bed and felt him move his hand, touching her inappropriately before he raped her. Mr Eager said: “She was undoubtedly in a vulnerable situation, it was a cabin but it was effectively her home for the night.”
Crossley, formerly of Leeds, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault of a child. Last year he was jailed for five years for firearms offences which were committed after the sex attacks in Nottinghamshire.
Mr Eager said there were two victim impact statements made by the girl and her mother but they were not read out in court. Denise Breen-Lawton, mitigating, said her client “has made real progress” since he has been remanded into custody helping other prisoners who are unable to read and write.
She said: “He comes from a good family and his mum gives a different perspective on the sort of person he’s capable of being. Devastation has been caused to his family by his offending. She (his mother) will be there for him when he is released from prison.”
As well as the prison term, the judge ordered Crossley be on the sex offender register for life and handed him a lifetime sexual harm prevention order. His sentence is made up of eight years custody and a four year extended licence for dangerousness.
After the sentencing, Detective Constable Gemma Sidebottom of Nottinghamshire Police said: “Crossley raped and sexually assaulted a child and has rightly received a very significant jail sentence today. His actions that day were utterly despicable and have unsurprisingly had a very significant impact on his victim and her family.
“In subsequent police interviews – including one conducted in jail – Crossley repeatedly denied anything had happened, calling into question the honesty of the victim in his case. Even when confronted with incontrovertible DNA evidence of this crime, he carried on lying about what had happened – adding further stress for his victim and her family.
“As his case finally comes to an end, I would like to place on record my thanks to the victim who has shown immense bravery throughout this process. I hope this sentence gives her at least some degree of closure.”
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