MP to examine jail term of man with girl in car

In the aftermath of the grooming scandal that has tainted Huddersfield’s reputation, Mr Sheerman has warned of the dangers of “wholly inappropriate” relationships between grown men and teenage girls.

Having been appraised of the details of the Akram case Mr Sheerman said he was considering whether to ask Mr Gauke to review the sentence.

He said: “Taking advantage of young women is against the law. Anyone doing so should be punished and punished according to the law.

“A relationship between a 35-yearold man and a teenage girl is wholly inappropriate whatever the sentence.

“When will older men learn? They should stop.

“I will look at all the full facts in detail and if I feel that the sentence is overly lenient I will refer it to the Justice Secretary to be reviewed.”

The case provoked outrage on the Examiner’s Facebook page.

Beverly Spivey said: “Jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to pay a fine of £115 to victim support! Absolutely disgraceful. Makes my blood boil. We are too soft in this country.”

Steve Laidlaw said: “What an absolute joke! No deterrent here.”

Scott John Fleetwood said: “So by time he gets out. She might be 18 and it’s ok for him then to contact her? Did I just read that!”

Susan Gledhill said: “The justice system is a joke he should get years for what he has done.”

And Keith Gledhill added: “So basically he has got away with attempted grooming.”

Prosecutor Lydia Pearce described the victim as being at a “high risk of sexual exploitation.”

Mitigating, Mohammed Rafiq said Akram and the teenager knew one another.

Magistrates jailed Akram for 16 weeks and warned him not to contact the victim until she reaches the age of 18 as a child abduction notice, issued by police in May, remains in place.

Labour-led Kirklees Council intends is to invite Home Secretary Sajid Javid to investigate the campaign of rape and abuse carried out by grooming gangs.

But it has been criticised by Conservatives for expanding the scope of the inquiry to look at the whole of England, effectively diluting scrutiny of what occurred in the borough.