Cardiff 2004-12-16

John Currell 62

Millionaire property investor who indecently assaulted a 16-year-old girl.

Profile Picture
Offender ID: O-2996

Locations

Lisvane, Cardiff, CF14

Description

A multimillionaire property investor who indecently assaulted a 16-year-old girl has been jailed for a year.John Currell, 43, was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, and was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The court was told he had given the girl a lift home, touched her and encouraged her to take her top off.

Currell, from Lisvane in Cardiff, who is married with two children, is said to be worth £16m.

Sentencing, judge Mark Furness told Currell he had known "full well" the teenager did not want him to be in her house.

"You endeavoured to create a sexual liaison with her and invited her to take her clothes off," he said.

'Little secret'

Prosecuting, Nicholas Gareth-Jones said: "He [Currell] invited her on a number of occasions to take her top off - the girl refused.

"Eventually he touched her breasts, stomach and back in a way that was deliberate and indecent."

The court heard Currell had stayed with the girl until 5.30 in the morning, and later called her to say that the incident should be "their little secret."

Speaking from the dock, Currell made a full apology to the girl, saying he would "like to say sorry for upsetting her".

Morgan Jenkins, defending, said Currell's reputation "had suffered terribly" as a result of the case.

"He is worried about the impact custody will have on his family and business acquaintances," he said.

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