A businessman with 'underlying perverted thoughts' has been jailed for groping a young girl after giving her with whisky.
Adam Plant, director of East Riding Horse Boxes Ltd and producer of upmarket motor homes, also sent the victim highly sexualised messages.
According to Hull Live, the 42-year-old later tried to get rid of evidence by deleting screenshots of incriminating texts and requesting that the girl's mum drop the complaint.
Plant, of Skirlaugh Road, Old Ellerby, denied the three charges of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, engaging in sexual communication with a child and perverting the course of justice.
He was convicted by a jury of eight men and four women at Hull Crown Court after a trial in August this year.
During Plant's sentencing at Hull Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Richard Thompson read sections from the victim impact statement in which the girl said: “I probably won’t see boys and men in the same way I used to.
“When I am old enough and when I’m doing older stuff I think it just won’t be the same because of what he did.
“I still get scared whenever I go somewhere that I think I might see him.”
The young victim and her family were said to have faced significant difficulties and strains as a result of Plant’s predatory acts and she said: “Sometimes I just think it is all my fault.”
The court also heard a statement from the victim’s mother who, wracked by feelings of guilt, had attempted to commit suicide shortly after being informed of her daughter’s ordeal.
The statement said: “I took an overdose of pills, I was found on the Humber Bridge, I don’t know what I might have done.
“I couldn’t cope, I was heartbroken, I didn’t know how I was ever going to overcome this.
“I now live with the guilt every day that I nearly took my own life too. I had six months off work, I couldn’t even look after myself never mind other people.
“The hurt and anger is something that we are all still coming to terms with.”
In mitigation, defence barrister Stephen Robinson pointed to Plant’s previous good character and his position as a business owner who employed several people.
Plant maintains his innocence despite his conviction
Judge Recorder Jamie Hill QC sentenced Plant to 30 months in prison for the offence of sexual activity with a child, and nine months in prison for sexual communication with a child.
Plant has already served six months in custody and was therefore sentenced to a total of 33 months behind bars.
He was given a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
Due to the length of his sentence Plant will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Recorder Hill said: “We have heard that you had consumed alcohol on the night of the incident.
“Despite this you must have had those underlying perverted thoughts and that is confirmed by the sexual communications.
“The victim and her mother have suffered significantly because of this offence.”
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