CHILD ABUSER ‘SEES HIMSELF AS THE VICTIM’
PERVERT ATTACKED 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND FILMED HER IN THE SHOWER
A MAN found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl and filming her as she showered still denies any wrongdoing.
Peter Emms, 41, sees himself “as the victim,” a judge said as he jailed him yesterday.
Leeds Crown Court heard Emms – who was found guilty of sexual assault and voyeurism following a trial – sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl and filmed her in the shower. Emms retained images and committed “a gross breach of trust,” the court heard.
He was reported to police for voyeurism in 2018 but due to delays has only now been sentenced.
In a victim impact statement, the girl said she “was scared about what he would do to her if she told anyone.”
Prosecutor Michael Morley summarised the statement and said the girl felt some people “blamed her for what happened” and struggles to sleep.
He said: “Having a shower made her stressed, even though she knew there wasn’t a camera there she had a feeling he could always see her and felt she was going crazy.”
Mr Morley added: “She found it hard to keep going and keep happy but there were feelings of being unlovable. She struggles with self-harm. She said she tried to deal with it herself and needed to feel some kind of control.
She had feelings of wanting to take her own life.” Mitigating, Michael Collins told the court Emms has now lost his positive good character and continued to deny the offending to the author of a pre-sentence report.
He said: “While he doesn’t agree with the jury’s verdict he does respect their right to reach it.
“He is concerned about his future. He has lost his positive good character and employment and recognises the struggles he faces in the future when trying to obtain employment with a criminal record and appearing on the Sex Offenders’ Register.”
His Honour Judge Marson KC told Emms, of Trinity Street, Huddersfield, he does not have a “shred of remorse” for his offending and said: “I contrast her courage in proceedings and pressing through these allegations with your reaction to present yourself to the presentence report as the victim.
“I have no doubt you will go through your life denying you did anything wrong, no doubt to protect yourself from the opinions of others.”
The judge said there were “clear elements of planning” in Emms’ offending and added: “You have shown not a shred of remorse for what you did.”
He jailed Emms for three years and nine months and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements.