Romsey 2009-06-17

Robert Curtis 65

Had sex with 15-year-old and recorded video of their affair.

Profile Picture
Offender ID: O-2058

Locations

Romsey, Hampshire

Description

A MAN who behaved like a teenager was jailed for four years for having sex with a girl of 15.

On one occasion, 48-year-old Robert Curtis used a video camera to record their activities, Derby Crown Court heard.

They once shared alcohol and cannabis with a teenage couple before having sex in the same room, said Siward James-Moore, prosecuting.

Curtis, who is now 50, was jailed for four years and put on the sex offenders register for life. He admitted sexual activity with the 15-year-old between October 2007 and January 31, 2008.

Curtis also admitted indecently assaulting another girl four years earlier.

The offences were committed while he lived in Duffield, although his address is now in Romsey, Hampshire.

Judge John Wait said the offences were made worse because Curtis encouraged drinking and the misuse of cannabis and allowing other inappropriate behaviour from young people.

He described Curtis as an intelligent and articulate man but told him: A man who behaves sexually inappropriately to two young girls in my judgement plainly presents a real risk of further offending.

Mr James-Moore said that in the first incident, he told the girl she was looking good and squeezed her bottom. She struck him, ordered him to leave, and he did.

In the case of the second girl, she thought she was in love with him and the relationship began after she sent him a text message.

They discussed the age gap, aware that sexual activities would constitute an offence, said Mr James-Moore.

They started having sex before she reached 16 and the girl said that was her idea.

The defendant did nothing to desist from that course of action, added Mr James-Moore. On New Years Eve, police arrested Curtis, who had no previous convictions.

Laura Dawes, in mitigation, said: In some ways, he was behaving like a teenager, perhaps because of a crisis in his life.

She said he deserved credit for pleading guilty and preventing the ordeal of the girls having to give evidence and be cross-examined in court.

Miss Dawes said: Mr Curtis has expressed very real remorse. That is a remorse not focused on himself, although the consequences for him are undoubtedly significant. This is a man who has lost his way.

She said he was suffering from depression at the time and felt there was now a low risk of reoffending by Curtis.

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