Woman plied boy, 12, with sweets for sex
JURY CONVICT 38-YEAR-OLD OF GROOMING YOUNGSTER
A MOTHER-of-three has been found guilty of rewarding a 12-yearold Derby boy with crisps and sweets to touch her sexually.
A near two-week trial heard how Deborah Yates encouraged the victim to skip school and meet her in a field where some of the activity took place.
A jury spend more than a day deliberating before finding the 38-year-old guilty of three counts of sexual assault of a child aged under 13, two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of child abduction.
They cleared her of one count of sexual assault of a child and one count inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Judge Robert Egbuna adjourned the sentence until April 19, telling the court he wanted to see an updated victim impact statement before deciding Yates’ fate.
He remanded her into custody until then.
Derby charity Safe and Sound supports children and young people who are victims of or at risk of child exploitation including sexual exploitation. It supported the young boy following Yates’ arrest and he disclosed to the support worker what had happened.
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison said: “I particularly want to commend this young boy for his bravery in disclosing what he had been subjected to.
“It was clear from the outset that he had been groomed to believe that this was a healthy, normal relationship and our specialist support worker needed to approach this subject in a careful and empathetic way.
“His confusion about what had happened shows the complex manipulation that children and young people are in danger of in our local communities.”
The trial heard how the abuse began with kissing and hugging him but very soon matters turned to her telling him to put his hands down her trousers.
And on one occasion she was found by one of his teachers lying down next to him in bushes and hastily rearranged her clothing.
Yates, formerly of Chaddesden, had denied all of the counts
Andrew Vout, prosecuting, opened the trial by saying how the offences took place during 2017 when both the defendant and the boy were living in Derby.
He said Yates befriended him and within a short space of time began grooming him. Mr Vout said: “We say she groomed him and had sexual contact with him.
“She says there was no sexual contact at all. She’s lying.”
“She asked him not to go to school and encouraged him to meet her, rewarding him with sweets and drinks.
“She would meet him in a field near his school and encourage him to kiss and touch her.
“She would put her hands down his trousers and touch him (sexually).
“She asked him to do the same, she would give him money, sweets and crisps.”
Mr Vout said Yates then gave the boy a mobile phone so they could arrange to meet without other people knowing.
He said teachers at the boy’s Derby school became concerned he was missing lessons and that the boy would begin going missing on numerous occasions.
Mr Vout said the police became involved in September 2017 and Yates was issued with a notice to “stay away” from the boy.
He said on December 7, 2017, Yates met the victim near to his school and one of the teachers went outside and found the defendant lying down in bushes with a figure lying next to her with its hood up.
Mr Vout said: “She rearranged her clothing and came out of the bushes and then a smaller figure came out and that was (the victim).
“She was arrested for child abduction and shortly after this moved out of the area. (The boy) found what happened extremely confusing, boundaries had been blurred, he had been groomed.
“He spoke to the organisation Safe and Sound which specialised in dealing with child sexual victims.”
Mr Vout said the defendant, now of Swadlincote Road, Woodville, was arrested and questioned about the accusations.
In them she denied anything sexual had ever happened between them.
Mrs Harrison added: “This case highlights that child exploitation can affect any young girl or boy regardless of where they live, their family situation, cultural or social background. “Similarly, perpetrators can be male or female, operate as individuals or in groups and come from all walks of life.
To find out more about more about child exploitation, warning signs and the support available to young people and their families, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk
I want to commend this young boy for his bravery in disclosing what he had been subjected to.
Tracey Harrison, Safe and Sound