Paul Dutton 64

Description

A sexual predator begged for forgiveness after his victim told him: "You are a danger to society and deserve to be in cells."

Paul Dutton, 61, sexually abused a teenage boy, leaving the vulnerable child "a broken person" with anxiety and depression.

He hung his head in shame when faced by the brave victim in court, sitting with his devastated mum in the area normally reserved for a jury.

After crying his way through the boy's heartbreaking victim statement, the pervert had the gall to say he was "sorry" as he was sent down.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Dutton, of Cotswold Grove, St Helens, befriended the boy by offering him advice and support.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, said one day they talked about masturbation and Dutton told his victim it was normal, before the boy later asked if they could do it together, which Dutton agreed to, after initially saying no.

The court heard they also performed a sex act on each other and afterwards spoke of their regret and said it would never happen again, but it did, after which they again spoke of regretting it.

Mr Scholz said on another occasion Dutton showed the boy a sexual position and they both performed a sex act on each other. On a further occasion Dutton put his penis between the boys buttocks.

The abuse stopped after Dutton suggested they didn't see each other so they would stop thinking about each other.

It only came to light when the boy confided in a young friend about what had happened, who contacted the police.

Mr Scholz said the boy's mum believed Dutton had "destroyed" her son's childhood by "taking advantage of him".

Dutton, gave two no comment interviews to police, but later admitted three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Scholz read out a victim personal statement written by the boy, who told his abuser: "It's such a serious crime what you have done to me."

The boy said his mental health deteriorated and said: "I'm just a broken person. Every day is darkness. I can't express to everyone in this room how I feel. You have destroyed my life."

He said Dutton hadn't had the "guts" to tell anyone what happened, adding: "You are just a coward."

The boy said: "All I can see is darkness. No matter how much therapy I have, it doesn't go away. I'm still in this state of mind."

The victim described how he would sit thinking about "dying" and suffered depression and anxiety.

Dutton cried in the dock as the statement concluded with the boy saying: "I want you to know every day has been grey and dark for me.

"There is not a day that goes by when I don't have messed up thoughts."

He added: "You are a danger to society and deserve to be in cells."

Paul Wood, defending, accepted the abuse amounted to a "course of conduct" but said it was over a "relatively modest period of time".

He said: "There appears to be a measure of it voluntarily stopping between the parties."

Mr Wood said letters and references showed Dutton was of previous "positive good character", with no criminal record, and described as "caring" and "nervous".

He said Dutton had an "isolated life", was "sexually inexperienced" and suffered abuse as a child himself, which had led to self-harm and depression.

Mr Wood said: "He is properly categorised as being a nervous individual who lacks confidence."

The lawyer added that Dutton had found the criminal proceedings so stressful that he had suffered a stroke.

The boy's mum started sobbing as Judge Mark Brown passed sentence.

The judge said there was a "very significant disparity" in age between Dutton and the "somewhat lonely and isolated" boy he befriended.

He said: "You took advantage of that friendship by sexually abusing him."

The judge said after the abuse, the teen spoke of how they both regretted what had happened.

But he told Dutton: "You were regretting what had taken place, but it didn't stop you."

Judge Brown said the victim described how Dutton destroyed his childhood and said: "You took advantage of him. You must have appreciated he was a lonely and somewhat vulnerable individual."

The judge jailed Dutton for three years and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely. He also imposed a 10-year restraining order to protect the victim.

Dutton said "see ya" to a woman sitting in the public gallery, who waved back at him as he was escorted away by a dock officer, then turned to the boy and his family.

He said: "I'm sorry. I know we will never talk... I'm sorry."