Shane Jessop 51

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A local historian has been jailed for nine years after he undressed and raped a drunken and sleepy teenage girl after a party.

Shane Jessop took advantage of the teenager after she 'passed out' on a sofa and he led her upstairs to a bedroom, where he took all her clothes off and kissed her before raping her.

The girl had been left very upset and said that the 'horrendous' incident would 'haunt' her forever, Hull Crown Court heard.

Jessop, 49, from Hull, admitted attacking the girl in September 2021.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said the teenage girl was at a party in Hull and Jessop had bought alcoholic drinks for the gathering.

The court heard the victim had been placed on a sofa after becoming sick and had passed out. She woke after 11pm to find Jessop on top of her.

Jessop had carried her victim upstairs and undressed her before the rape.

Jessop stopped after three to five minutes but only when he heard another girl about, the court heard, at which point the victim got dressed.

The court heard how police were alerted and he later told them: 'My life is over, isn't it?'

The girl later said that the incident was 'horrendous' and she had since suffered anxiety, including finding it difficult to breathe as though she was 'under water trying to get back'.

She suffered from flashbacks and often lost focus.

'I haven't been out of the house really since the incident,' she said

in a statement to the court. 'I spend a lot of my time in bed.

'I know this has affected my mum and dad a lot. I suffer a lot with anxiety.

'I just sit and cry until I can't cry any more. I get upset often for no reason.

'My mum worries about me constantly. This will haunt me forever.'

Jessop denied charges of sexual assault against the same victim and another girl on the same day.

He also denied perverting the course of justice between October 1 and 10 by asking another girl to contact the two teenagers to suggest that they withdraw their allegations in exchange for money. Police confirmed Jessop had tried to pay off the victim via a third party before his first appearance in court, but those three charges were not pursued by the prosecution.

Jessop had previously denied all the offences and had been due to face trial in April but he later changed his pleas to guilty for rape and sexual assault.

Nigel Clive, mitigating, said that Jessop wanted to apologise for his actions.

The offences happened at an unhappy time in his life because of personal matters and he turned to drinking. He had been drinking at the time of the rape.

'His baser desires turned to criminality,' said Mr Clive. 'He bitterly apologises. If he could turn back time, he would.'

Jessop realised that the victim and her family would suffer terribly.

'His actions have let everybody down terribly,' said Mr Clive.

'He bought alcohol with no intention of committing offending.

'He found his victim drunk and what happened there was terrible but he did not provide alcohol in order to abuse people.'

Jessop had no previous convictions.

He had gained a degree in local history and had worked in museums and libraries.

'He led ordinarily a very quiet life,' said Mr Clive.

Judge Mark Bury told Jessop: 'The effect of this offending has been severe as far as she is concerned.

'She feels betrayed by your actions. Her levels of anxiety have been raised significantly.

'She now suffers flashbacks, breakdowns and crying fits. The whole family have had to suffer along with her.

'You took advantage of a drunk young lady who was simply incapable of consenting and incapable of protecting herself and you were aware of that position.

'She was, in those circumstances, particularly vulnerable.'

Jessop was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Jessop describes himself on his LinkedIn account as a customer advisor based in Hull since November 2016.

Before that, he was a museum heritage assistant between September 2011 and November 2016.

He says: 'A proud family person, I consider myself as an articulate, educated and confident individual whose greatest strengths include historical research, writing, communication, inclusive participation, problem solving and social engagement.

'I pride myself on the ability to not only develop new skills but to harness and adapt my current abilities towards any vocational setting.'

Jessop studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in local and regional history at the University of Hull between 2008 and 2014.

He also studied at Hull College, has been a senior steward with Unison and was previously a volunteer tour guide on the Arctic Corsair, Hull's last remaining sidewinder trawler.