Description
Robert Ashcroft, of no fixed address, groomed the child from December 2025.
The 41-year-old targeted and sexually assaulted her on numerous occasions up until February 2026 when she found the courage to disclose what he had done.
After it was reported to police, he was arrested and questioned in custody before being charged with six counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was also charged with a separate attempted burglary offence.
Ashcroft initially denied the offences against him until after the child had given evidence in court. He then changed his plea to guilty.
On Friday 4 September Ashcroft appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced to 10 years and five months imprisonment. He is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 15 years and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
During the trial, the court heard how Ashcroft was caught by the occupant who watched him via doorbell footage trying to break in.
He was arrested nearby on the day it occurred on Monday 7 July 2025.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Emily Thompson, from Cleveland Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People team, said:
“Ashcroft exploited and abused the young child and refused to accept responsibility for his heinous actions. It was only until a week before the trial after putting the child through unparallelled stress and trauma that he admitted to what he had done.
“I want to commend her for the courage and strength shown throughout the investigation. The resilience she has demonstrated throughout has been remarkable for such a young person and I sincerely hope she is proud of herself for that.
“While no sentence can undo the harm and trauma caused, I believe the length of this sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences. I hope it provides the child and the family a sense of justice and enables her to move forward with her life.
“Finally, I want to remind anyone else who is suffering abuse of any kind that help is available and I urge and encourage you to come forward. We have specially trained officers who will listen to you, who will believe you and who will support you - frequently supplemented by help from our expert local agencies."