Man jailed for sexual assault on teen boy
HE IS SENTENCED AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY AT TRIAL
A 36-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for 12 months after he sexually assaulted an under-age boy.
Jamie Bryan, of Hawthornden Avenue, Uttoxeter, has been convicted of touching the teenager in 2017.
He had denied the offence but was convicted by a jury at Stafford Crown Court following a trial last week.
He was found not guilty of a separate charge of possession of two images of a person performing a sexual act involving two animals.
Bryan had been drinking until 4am on the morning of the incident involving the boy and was a regular user of cocaine, the court heard.
The court was told Bryan placed his hand on his victim’s knee and the victim recognised he was behaving inappropriately.
The judge told Bryan that at that stage there was resistance from the victim.
The judge said: “You had a choice to stop but you persisted by taking hold of his [private parts]. He was plainly distressed.”
The victim later told what had happened, the court was told.
In a victim impact statement read out in court by prosecutor Oliver Woolhouse, the victim said he remained distressed about the incident and had seen a number of counsellors.
Mr Woolhouse said: “The case has played on his mind and he has felt the impact on his exam grades.”
Of the offence, Mr Woolhouse said: “There is a degree of planning.
“There is the use of alcohol to a degree, but it was not something the defendant used to relax his victim in the situation.”
Kevin Jones, who defended Bryan and provided several character references, told the court: “There are elements of planning, but no sign significant planning; this was opportunistic tic.
“There is no evidence of grooming.
“This wasn’t a c case where alcoh hol was used to co commit an offence. ““There is no evidenc dence to say [the victim] was taken advantage of because o of drink or being drunk, but [the judge] cannot ignore that he [Bryan] was consuming alcohol and drugs.
“It [the touching] was a very short duration. He recognises the impact on his victim.
“His own character has been tarnished and he has resigned from a job he loved for many years.
“He had problems with cocaine in the past and recognises it wasn’t doing any good and has stopped. He is at low risk of reoffending,” said Mr Jones.
Bryan has been sentenced to 12 months in prison and will serve half of that.
He has also been made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, a restraining order and has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
The case has played on his mind and he has felt the impact on his exam grades.
Prosecutor Oliver Woolhouse