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18-year-old admits sexual assault of young girl
A MAN will be sentenced next month after he admitted sexually assaulting a young girl in Bridlington.
Damien James Butterworth, 18, pleaded guilty to a single charge of sexual touching of a girl under the age of 13 when he appeared in court last week.
But magistrates sitting in the town ruled that they would deal with the case after hearing there was no evidence of any previous offending.
Adjourning sentence for reports until February 24, presiding magistrate Ian Male told Butterworth: "I don't wish to give you any false hopes.
"This offence will carry a custodial sentence, or the possibility of one."
Prosecutor Heather Levett earlier told the hearing that the incident had taken place in the Bridlington home of the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, on November 19 last year.
Three days later, her mother contacted police to report that the girl had told her sister that Butterworth had put his hand down her trousers, into her underwear and had rubbed her private parts. The girl then told officers the same.
Butterworth, now of Southway, Mirfield, then admitted the offence to the girl's mother, a respite care officer and in his police interview.
But Miss Levett told the bench the case was suitable to be dealt with by the magistrates, a view shared by mitigating solicitor Dave Robson.
Mr Robson said the offence was "obviously" serious, but that there had been no suggestion of Butterworth committing any similar offences prior to the incident.
He added: "Even with this type of offence, there are cases that can be dealt with at the magistrates' court."
The court was also told that Butterworth had been in care for a number of years and on medication from the age of five, which he had only been stopped from taking a few months earlier.
Butterworth was released on conditional bail until his next court appearance.
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Weather for Bridlington
Thursday 24 May 2012
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