Locations
Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD
Description
A sick predator who raped a teenage girl, subjected a young man to a violent sexual assault, and kept footage of children using a bathroom has today (Fri) been jailed for more than ten years.
Bradford man Damien Smith, 35, will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will also be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
The citys crown court heard how Smith subjected the young man to a "violent and shocking" sexual assault in 2017, but he was not prosecuted until his later offending against a teenage girl came to light.
Neither of Smith's victims can be identified due to legal reasons, but Judge Colin Burn said his offending was something they will never forget. Judge Burn said the picture presented was of Smith being "a predatory person" and his best piece of mitigation was his guilty pleas to all of his crimes.
He said the teenage girl had bravely reported Smith's repeated abuse of her and when he was arrested, police found indecent images of children on his phone along with recordings of youngsters using a bathroom. Smith, who is currently in custody at HMP Leeds, pleaded guilty to a series of offences including rape of a child, sexual assault, voyeurism and possession of indecent images of children.
In her victim impact statement the girl bravely said: "I feel a lot of anger towards Damien for what he has put me through." Barrister Fiona Clancy, for Smith, said he accepted absolutely that his behaviour was unacceptable and he was disgusted with himself.
"He is remorseful. He is ashamed," said Miss Clancy. "He wishes to serve his time and be punished for this offending."
Judge Burn sentenced Smith to a total of 10-and-a-half years in jail and explained he would have to serve two-thirds of the term before he could apply for release.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Julie Deacon, of Bradford Safeguarding Unit, described Smith as "a danger to children".
"I would like to praise the bravery and courage from his victims in coming forward and reporting his crimes to police," said Det Insp Deacon.
"Thanks to a thorough investigation by Bradford District Safeguarding Unit and partner agencies, it left Smith with no choice but to plead guilty to the offences.
"This guilty plea has spared his victims a trial. I hope that knowing he is behind bars for a long time will bring them some closure as they try to move forward with their lives. West Yorkshire Police take all reports of this nature seriously and anyone who is a victim of a sexual assault can rest assured we will do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice."