Description
A woman cried "I love yous all" as she was locked up for sexually abusing a teenage girl. Lucy Wilding targeted her victim over the course of several months after grooming her on Snapchat.
This included sending her a "manipulative" video, in which she asked the youngster to "be her girlfriend" by spelling these words out in love hearts. The 20-year-old then engaged in sex acts with the teenager on dozens of occasions.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Monday, that Wilding was aged 18 when she initially met the complainant in Liverpool city centre in early 2023. The two thereafter began exchanging messages over Snapchat and began meeting up with one another in the spring.
Steven Ball, prosecuting, described how this progressed to the 14-year-old girl staying overnight at the then 19-year-old defendant's home, sleeping in the same bed together. This led to Wilding, of Southey Street in Bootle, touching the teen sexually on at least 20 occasions, with the victim reciprocating these acts on at least four occasions.
She was said to have known the victim's age "from the outset", but "would tell other people that she was 17 so they would not get into trouble". The sex offender also sent the girl a "quite manipulative" video on one occasion in a clip showing balloons and love hearts spelling out words on the floor "asking her to be her girlfriend".
The child's mum became aware of their relationship during the summer of 2023 and warned Wilding to cease her contact. But the mother informed the police around a month later when she continued to contact her daughter "using fake social media accounts".
Under interview, she claimed that she "thought she was 16". But messages recovered from her phone showed that Wilding, who has no previous convictions, had sent messages to the girl's mum "apologising for the stress and drama caused" and "acknowledging she knew it was wrong, but also reassuring her that she would wait until she was 16".
Stuart Nolan, defending, told the court: "These are very serious matters, and the court will be concerned with them. She is a woman of hitherto good character.
"She still works at a company in Merseyside, Makro. They are aware of the circumstances of this hearing. The indications are that she is well liked there, and she intends to work there as soon as she possibly can.
"She is clearly well thought of by her family and friends. She has previously required the assistance of medical practitioners for anxiety and depression. She understands the gravity of what went on. This is a young woman who is obviously terrified at the prospect of jail."
Wilding, who appeared to be in tears at times during the hearing, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and two charges of inciting sexual activity with a child. Wearing a navy blue suit and tie over a white shirt in the dock, she was jailed for 18 months.
Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "She was a child. While you yourself were relatively young, you were an adult. You should have stopped and you should not have carried on seeing her, but you did.
"She stayed over on many, many occasions at your address. During this period of time, you engaged in sexual activity with her. Unlike her, you were aware that it was wrong. You knew full well that she was underage.
"You have never been before the courts before. It is a great shame to find a woman such as you, who has a number of positive attributes, in the dock in a crown court facing serious sexual allegations.
"I take into account your lack of maturity, but this was not just a one off incident. This was a number of times with a number of offences over a number of months.
"The number of people supporting you today shows you are well viewed by those who care for you and love you and someone who, at the start of your adult life, does have a positive future ahead of you. You are someone who, in the past, has struggled with your mental health.
"The fact is that you, as an adult, should have controlled your behaviour and you failed to do so. Anybody involved in sexual activity with a child will be viewed gravely by these courts.
"The law is in place to protect minors, sometimes from their own actions. You, as an adult, knew it was wrong. In this case, you do present a risk to the public. In this case, in my judgement, appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence."
Wilding was also handed a sexual harm prevention order, a notification requirement and a restraining order - all lasting 10 years. She turned to the public gallery and said "I love yous all" to her sobbing supporters as she was led down to the cells.