Locations
Frederick Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8
Description
A man who sexually assaulted two teenage girls and then filmed himself putting his hands around a third girl's throat without her knowledge has been jailed.
Oliver King, prosecuting, told Chester Crown Court, Adam Connolly, 30, of Frederick Street, Widnes, groped the first victim below her top, whilst she slept. However she jumped up and when she asked what he was doing Connolly replied he thought she liked it.
The following year, Connolly covered the face of a second girl and ran his hand over her. Connolly asked if she wanted a cuddle and she said no.
When arrested, he denied assaulting them and claimed his first victim was unreliable and that he inadvertently touched the second girls shoulder.
His phone revealed he had been looking at pictures of his second victim on the day of the assault - but he had also saved pictures of his first victim.
Magistrates' court documents said the offences happened in Runcorn.
The court heard Connolly was also in possession of indecent video of a third girl.
Mr King said the footage showed him placing his hands around her neck and appearing to strangle her
Connolly had two previous convictions for mainly carrying weapons.
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, his first victim said the effects of the assault included loss of sleep and appetite, and diminished relationships.
His second victim said she began to push myself away from people after the assault and had stopped going out as much as she used to.
Her life had changed forever, she said, adding she feels disgusted and angry over what happened.
A statement from his third victim was not provided.
Connollys two younger victims both underwent cross-examination as the cases approached trial before he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and to a third count of making a Category A indecent video of a child.
Jo Maxwell, appearing for the defence, cited Connollys guilty pleas and the principle of totality in mitigation.
She added Connolly had backtracked on his attempts to minimise his offending and perhaps now realises how stupid it sounded when he tried to inform the author of the pre-sentence report that any contact was innocent and accidental.
Miss Maxwell said there was no objection to the terms of the indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order proposed and granted by the court.
Judge Patrick Thompson, presiding in Chester on Friday, made restraining orders in respect of the two younger victims and placed Connolly on the sex offenders register for life.
He imposed consecutive sentences on each offence to reflect separate incidents and the time elapsed between them, with 18 months for each sexual assault and five years for the indecent video, totalling eight years.
Sending the defendant down, Judge Thompson said: It seems to me, having read everything I have about you and the circumstances of these offences, and having seen the victims in counts one and two cross-examined, that you have an unhealthy sexual interest in children and I notice in the pre-sentence report you are assessed as a danger to children under the age of 18.
A victim surcharge was also ordered.
None of the victims can be named for legal reasons.
Cheshire police were unable to provide a mugshot of Connolly in time for publication, five days after the hearing.