Man jailed for abusing underage girl

A paedophile has been jailed for stealing the innocence of a schoolgirl he abused over a two-year period.
Kerry Shepherd, 51, of Cranbeck Close, BridlingtonKerry Shepherd, 51, of Cranbeck Close, Bridlington
Kerry Shepherd, 51, of Cranbeck Close, Bridlington

Kerry Shepherd, 51, molested the girl, whom he told he loved.

The girl told police she viewed his internet site search history finding searches for “really young girls” and sick child images on his phone which he could not explain.

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The girl said she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Shepherd in Bridlington and Torquay, being told if she told anyone he would blame her. She said she got revenge later by putting washing-up liquid in his vodka.

She said: “On his phone I saw loads of pictures of 
explicit girls.”

In a DVD interview played to the jury, the girl told how she would be assaulted after he massaged her or she fell asleep. She said: “I tried to pull away, but he was not having any of it.

“He just carried on. I was upset. I was terrified. I was going to smack him. He kept blaming it on his mum dying.”

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Shepherd, a bricklayer, of Cranbeck Close, regularly moved after splitting from his partner. He went on trial denying one count of sexual assault on a child, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity with and three counts of causing a children to engage in sexual activity. He was found guilty of all charges.

The girl told the jury Shepherd had assaulted her often after she had fallen asleep.

She said: “He said I want to, but I know I can’t. I don’t know what he had been doing before. He said he said he loved me.”

The girl said after she told her mother they confronted Shepherd who denied the allegation. She said that when he was confronted he said: “I am weak. I am not into little girls. I am so sorry.” The family went to the police. Shepherd strenuously and vigorously denied all the allegations in police interview.

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“He said, in fact, she was the one who behaved in-appropriately towards him” said Mr Thackray. “The girl said it is what he said he would say if she ever told anyone.

“He said in relation to the alleged admission there was some accidental touching, but he had not been allowed to explain them properly. He said the allegations were “a pack of lies”.

Shepherd strenuously and vigorously denied all the allegations in police interview.

“He said in fact she was the one who behaved in-appropriately towards him” said Mr Thackray.

He had said the allegations were “a pack of lies”.

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Mr Thackray added: “In a nutshell he took advantage of this girl, sexually for a two-year period.

“She did not report it as it happened. Not for some months later. That is not uncommon, particularly when you are dealing with non-violent sexual abuse, because the sexual abuser is grooming them.”

Recorder David Dixon sentenced Shepherd to 10 years in prison.

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