David Macquarrie 40

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Detectives have praised a child’s bravery in helping put the man who sexually abused her behind bars.

Forty-year-old David Macquarrie was responsible for committing a series of sex offences against an underage girl.

The campaign of abuse took place in August and September last year, with Macquarrie initially grooming his victim online.

He was fully aware of the girl’s age when they started talking but still engaged her in conversations of a sexual nature anyway.

This ultimately culminated in the paedophile persuading the child to meet with him at his address on multiple occasions.

Macquarrie subjected her to repeated sexual abuse during each of the meetings.

Around the same time this was happening, Macquarrie was also engaging in conversations of a sexual nature with another ‘girl’ online.

Unbeknownst to the predator, however, he was on that occasion interacting with a decoy account set up by an online child activist group.

Macquarrie was arrested soon after that, at which point the true extent of his crimes became apparent.

That was possible thanks to the girl he’d sexually abused finding the strength to come forward and report what happened to the police.

Macquarrie, of Scrooby Close, Harworth, was duly charged with a series of child sex offences – all of which he pleaded guilty to.

These included seven counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Macquarrie also admitted to both engaging and attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

He was jailed for six-and-a-half years and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life during an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (26 February).

Macquarrie was also made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for the next 10 years, while he was handed a sexual harm prevention order for a period of 15 years too.

Detective Constable Ellie Talbot, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“First and foremost, I want to highlight and commend the courage shown by the young victim in disclosing what happened to her.

“That can’t have been an easy thing to do, with the immense bravery she demonstrated ensuring Macquarrie’s depravity was revealed and his disgusting actions didn’t go unpunished.

“Macquarrie knew full well that his victim was underage and yet continued to pursue her anyway – firstly grooming her online before then sexually abusing her.

“This happened on more than one occasion, with the 40-year-old’s abuse taking place at the same time he was trying to target what he thought was another child.

“We’re pleased to see he has now been sent to prison.”