Sex abuser jailed for attacks on teen girl

ACHILD abuser from Runcorn has been jailed for six years. Aaron David Spencer, 37, was caged at Chester Crown Court on Friday.

A jury had convicted Spencer of four counts of sexual activity with a girl under 16 and two of sexual assault on a female aged 16 or over.

Nicholas Williams, prosecuting, said some of the offences took place after Spencer, of Framlington Court, Castlefields, had been drinking alcohol.

The four counts of sexual activity were specimen counts, meaning they reflected a longer-term pattern of offending. Offences involved groping his victim. He also told her ‘that she must not say anything’ to anyone about the abuse.

The victim had testified in person to the jury during the trial.

Jurors acquitted Spencer of two charges from the eight-count indictment.

Mr Williams said the defendant’s conduct had included ‘grooming’.

Gareth Bellis, defending, said Spencer was of previous good character, and was not at high risk of re-offending and had ‘played a major role within a charity organisation’ including opening the shop at the weekend.

His Honour Judge Roger Dutton, presiding, sentenced Spencer to four years in prison for the child abuse and two years consecutive for the offences committed while his victim was aged 16 or over.

He also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed Spencer on the sex offenders register.

Sentencing him, Judge Dutton said: “It’s quite plain that you had been overtaken by sexual desire for this girl and you treated her as a sexual object.”