Bisexual woman, 21, becomes first female to be jailed for grooming a schoolgirl for sex

From Mail OnLine

A woman was jailed for 20 months today in the first case of an adult female grooming a schoolgirl for sex.

Sarah Wilson, 21, targeted the 15-year-old in an internet chat room and quickly began playing on the youngster’s ‘vulnerability’.

The couple’s six-month online relationship quickly ‘escalated’ into a ‘multitude’ of texts and phone calls becoming ‘more and more sexually graphic’.

Prosecutor Peter Zinner said Mrs Wilson had left no doubt what she wanted to do with the youngster and in some of her emails spoke of using ‘sex toys’.

He said that it quickly ‘became clear that this 15-year-old was becoming more and more emotionally dependent on the flattery that Wilson fed her over the internet’.

Passing sentence Judge Stephen Robbins said: ‘It is said by the prosecution this may be one of the first cases where an adult woman has groomed a female child. I sentence you on this basis.

‘You are 21 and this girl was 15. She has been described as vulnerable and of low self esteem. You know this conduct of yours was utterly shameful.

‘You exploited her via the internet and via text messages and sending pictures to her. Moreover, and even more seriously, you persuaded her to come down from Scunthorpe to Kings Cross in London.’

‘She had a poor relationship with her parents and suffered from low self-esteem,’  Mr Zinner said.

‘This is an unusual case in that it is rare for a female to be involved in the grooming of a child. In fact I have spoken to my learned friend and this is probably the first case of an adult female grooming a young girl.’

‘It was a classic case of grooming, targeting a vulnerable young girl with a view to filling the gap in her life for a sexual purpose’ on January 21 this year.

The court also heard a number of the exchanges involved Wilson’s 39-year-old lover Peter Richardson, although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Eventually, the schoolgirl agreed to play truant one Wednesday and travel from her home in Scunthorpe to London’s King’s Cross station to meet the couple.

But her mother discovered she had skipped school and reported her missing.

Mr Zinner said the child’s description was circulated across the country.

Amongst those who saw it were British Transport Police who immediately recognised the youngster when she arrived at the mainline station.

‘They took her into protective custody and while there she received a text from the defendant asking her where she was and that she had better not be wasting their time.

‘The police, in order to keep the ball rolling, texted back and ensured that the defendant and her boyfriend continued their journey with a view to meeting and arresting them. And that is precisely what happened.’

However, Mr Richardson was later formally cleared of any wrongdoing after the prosecution offered no evidence.

‘It seems even on the account from the complainant he was certainly a reluctant partner in this enterprise.

‘He reluctantly went to London and the Crown accepted his involvement was not sufficient to prove beyond doubt he intended to have any sexual relationship with the young girl. Any sexual activity would have been solely between Wilson and the complainant,’ Mr Zinner explained.

He told the court when police searched the couple’s bedsit they found ‘sex toys consistent with the proposed sexual activity, pornographic DVDs, and some child’s underwear which the Crown submit would have been offered to the victim during any sexual activity’.

The barrister said when interviewed Wilson admitted contacting the schoolgirl and knew she was 15.

‘But she initially denied making any sexual references while contacting her, said that the victim approached her regarding a sexual relationship, but that she had said she was not a lesbian and was not interested.’

The defendant went on to add that although she had planned to meet the youngster there was ‘no intention to have any sexual contact’.

However, after realising the amount of evidence against her Wilson, from Camberwell, South London, later admitted one count of ‘travelling to meet a child following sexual grooming’.

She then told officers: ‘I admit I would have had a sexual relationship with the young girl but any such activity would not have involved Mr Richardson.’

The child was also questioned by police and ‘made clear she still has affection for Wilson and did not wish to see her getting into trouble, although she accepts what the defendant did was wrong and inappropriate’.

Mr Zinner continued: ‘This was a vulnerable young girl who it does appear was manipulated by Wilson and but for the fortunate intervention of her parents and the BTP it is clear some sexual activity would have taken place between them.’

Mr Zinner added the case had a number of aggravating features.

‘There were not only elements of planning and sophistication in the grooming of this child, who was lonely and vulnerable, but Wilson held out the promise of a loving relationship which was clearly something missing from this young girl’s life.’

As Wilson sobbed uncontrollably in the dock the judge told her: ‘This offence was planned, it was sophisticated and you showed determination over a period of time in grooming this young girl.

‘And what’s more this came very close to success in the sense she had excused herself from school that day and come to London by train without her mother’s knowledge.

‘It was only due to the alertness of her school, who in turn made contact with her mother and the success of the BTP that fortunately she was intercepted.’

The judge added: ‘This offence is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.’

He said apart from jail she would also have to register as a sex offender for 10 years, be banned from life from working with children, and be subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order strictly controlling her use of the internet and any future contact with youngsters.