Locations
James Reckitt Avenue, Hull, HU8
Description
An obsessed ex-soldier started touching up and kissing a teenage girl after pulling her towards him while he was sitting in the opened-up side area of his camper van.
Sexual predator James Dyson parked up at St Andrew's Quay and grabbed the girl and cuddled her after they had arranged to meet following earlier online contact. But little did he know that he was being watched on CCTV by an eagle-eyed security guard who became suspicious and alerted the police to what was going on, Hull Crown Court heard.
Dyson, 36, of James Reckitt Avenue, Hull, admitted sexual assault on August 7, 2020. Daniel Penman, prosecuting, said that a security guard at St Andrew's Quay, Hull, saw a white camper van in the car park, with Dyson sitting inside the opened side door area of it.
Two girls were nearby and the guard zoomed in the pictures to see what was going on. Dyson pulled a 14-year-old girl towards him, kissed and cuddled her, put his arm around her and put his hand on her leg.
"She tried to get off him but he pulled her towards him," said Mr Penman. "The defendant remained sitting inside the van."
The security guard noted the van's registration number and the police were alerted. Dyson was found a short distance away and he was arrested. It transpired that the girl had met him a few times before via Snapchat.
"She felt scared about what was happening," said Mr Penman. "She couldn't sleep afterwards due to constantly thinking about it."
The girl's details were on Dyson's phone. He had looked at the websites of paedophile hunters to see if he was being tricked.
He claimed that he thought the girl was 16 when they arranged to meet up but he admitted that he knew that she was really 14. He admitted grabbing the girl and cuddling and kissing her while she was sitting on his knee.
"He said that he couldn't believe what he had done and that he had really f***ed up," said Mr Penman. "There was a significant degree of planning, given the Snapchat chat."
Dyson had convictions for drink-driving and theft. Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Dyson had been in the Army between the ages of 16 and 23 and served in Northern Ireland, Canada and Germany before leaving to start a family. He had a 10-year-old son.
"He is extremely remorseful for his actions," said Miss Scott. "He is disgusted in himself. He knows that his reputation is in tatters. It was a disgraceful offence.
"Clearly, the victim was extremely vulnerable in this case, given her age. There was contact on Snapchat beforehand. They did arrange to meet. He does not want a repeat of this offending."
Dyson was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours' unpaid work, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 35-day programme. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.