Locations
Dunveth Road, Wadebridge, PL27
Description
Marcus McPherson, still only 21, targeted young girls online and violently sexually assaulted two of his victims after eventually persuading them to meet.
McPherson, of Dunveth Road in Wadebridge , appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence after admitting sexual assault, assault by penetration, distributing an indecent image of a child, three counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, engaging in sexual communication with a child and two breaches of a sexual risk order.
Moving onto the offences against the first victim, Mr Lee described how she met the defendant in 2015 when she was 14 and he was 17.
Mr Lee described “persistent and demanding messages” in which he requested sexual chat and photos and also sent pictures of his penis to the girl.
In November 2015 she went to meet a friend at a bus stop in Lanivet and agreed the defendant could come along. When they were alone McPherson pushed the girl back and tried to unbutton her trousers and zip.
He then held her head with one hand and continued trying to undress her with the other, saying it was ‘what happened to people who said no’.
The second victim, of a similar age to the first, was again bombarded with sexual messages by McPherson and eventually agreed to meet him in Par in 2017.
He took a train there and they went to the skate park and then into the woods to take shelter from rain.
When there he put her arms around her so she couldn’t move and his hand inside her top, touching her breasts.
He then put his hand inside her underwear and abused her in such a way she was left in pain. When she told McPherson to back off he still persisted saying ‘let me do it, it’ll feel really nice’.
Chillingly, Mr Lee said after the ordeal McPherson continued to message her and blackmailed her into sending him a naked photograph, warning if she didn’t he’d tell everyone what happened. The girl sent him the picture but he then distributed it to others leading to her receiving comments and abuse.
While the investigation was progressing McPherson was made subject of a sexual risk order which he repeatedly breached by being found with social media apps on his phone. One breach was reported by a girl he knew from school who he contacted and in turn told police as she was aware of his situation.
The girls McPherson physically abused were said to have suffered physically and emotionally as a result of his offending, going on to have problems with their education and with self-harm.
Judge Carr sentenced McPherson to an extended sentence of 14 years, nine years custodial and five on licence. He will only be eligible for parole after two thirds of the custodial element.