Description
A paedophile who played sick games with a young girl had the smile wiped off his face at court.
Michael Carr repeatedly sexually abused the child when she was aged between six and 11 and he was aged 17 to 23.
He indecently assaulted the girl, who had to take off clothes if she lost at cards and was made to dance for him in her underwear.
The 57-year-old, of Station Road, Maghull, smiled and grinned when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing via video link.
He was supported in the public gallery by family members, one of whom stormed out when the impact of the abuse on the victim was described, while Carr shook his head.
However, Carr stopped smiling when he was jailed for eight years and told he must serve two thirds of the sentence behind bars.
During a trial in August, a jury heard how one game Carr played with the girl involved her running up to him, when he would pick her up and lift her in the air.
However, one time he made her take her underwear off and indecently assaulted her when he held her aloft.
Sarah Holt, prosecuting, said Carr would make the girl open and close her legs, before touching her genitalia.
She said he also played card games with her such as snap, which involved items of clothing being removed.
He would take the girl for walks to an area known locally as "The Boards" and to "The Ralla", where she liked to make dens.
Ms Holt said once she had made a den and was excited and wanted to show him, but he exposed himself to her.
He then took the girl's hand and placed it on his penis, telling her to stroke it and asking: "Does that feel nice?"
Carr asked the girl to dance to music, then said he wanted to see her dance in her knickers, because "he could see her better like that".
Ms Holt said he also told the child to lie down for a "hug", but "put himself against her and pulled her shorts down".
The court heard he would kiss her on the cheek or turn her face towards him, so he could kiss her on the lips.
Ms Holt said there was also an occasion when the girl was older when he approached her from behind, put his hand on her back and tried to pull her bra strap, but she told him "no, I don't like it" and told him to leave.
The abuse came to light in 2019, when the woman contacted police and told officers Carr had abused her when she was a young child.
When interviewed by police, Carr denied ever touching his victim sexually and said the allegations were "disgusting".
However, he accepted that as an adult she had confronted him several times and accused him of being a paedophile.
Ms Holt told the jury: "He said that he hadnt reported this as he didn't want to cause any hassle."
Carr, who had no previous convictions, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault.
In a victim statement, the woman described how she had been forced to live with the impact of the abuse on a daily basis.
The woman said she suffered from "bad anxiety" and "severe panic attacks", when she struggles to breathe, which can be "triggered by the slightest things" and particularly certain smells and playing cards.
She described self-harming, suffering from eating disorders, "vivid nightmares", feelings of vulnerability and fear, and how "I've often thought what's the point of being here anymore".
The woman said: "When I'm close with partners, I see Michael's face looking back at me."
The victim, who has undergone counselling, said: "I'm happy that after 40 years Michael is facing the consequences of his actions and justice is being served. However, this will never change the devastation he has left behind."
Brendan Carville, defending, said: "The defendant of course still denies the offences and I'm not able to comment in any way at all on the findings of the jury."
He said Carr hadn't been in trouble since these offences, which showed he could rehabilitate himself, and that at the age of 59 he would find his first time in prison "devastating".
Judge David Swinnerton told Carr: "You're 59 years of age. You've got no previous convictions, but what that reveals is to some extent you've been living a lie for the last 30 years, because people have treated you as a man of good character."
He said Carr had "sexualised" typical childhood games, such as when he threw her up and indecently assaulted her.
The judge said when playing snap, who lost "had to take a piece of clothing off".
He added: "You played that with that young child."
The victim first told her mum years previously Carr had touched her and it was "wrong", but at the time didn't feel able to disclose the abuse in full.
Judge Swinnerton said the victim also talked to a friend about the abuse over the years, who described her breaking down in tears.
He said: "Though this was a long time ago Mr Carr, and though it's difficult for any man to face the first custodial sentence of his life at the age of 59 as Mr Carville said, you've had a devastating effect on the life of your victim for the last 30-odd years, and that's a continuing and ongoing impact, and serious impact on her."
Judge Swinnerton told Carr to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.