Leeds campsite paedophile abused young girl and gave her £20, telling her she ‘earned it’

Donat Cantrell was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court of a string of offences against the youngster who was 10 or 11 at the time. The 57-year-old is already serving a lengthy jail sentence following an armed stand-off with police Horsforth in March last year.

But he was handed a new nine-year extended sentence this week, which will only begin when his existing 10-years-and-eight-months sentence expires.

The court heard that Cantrell had groomed the youngster and bought her gifts, including a bikini. On one occasion, he invited the youngster into his motorhome on her own and closed the curtains before undressing himself.

He told her he needed to wash himself and asked her to help, before asking she remove her clothes. He then washed her touching her body, including her vagina. He masturbated himself and made her touch his genitals before performing a sex act on her. He later told her not to tell her mother and that he was “like a grandad”.

On another occasion, he invited the girl into a bathroom and made her masturbate him with the promise of £20. He then took her to a B&M store the next day and gave her the cash, telling her she “earned it”. He also showed her a pornographic video.

Cantrell, formerly of St Helena’s Caravan Park in Horsforth, was found guilty after his trial of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault of a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, assault of a child by penetration, sexual assault of a child and causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Mitigating, Rebecca Young said Cantrell has problems with drink and drugs which she said did not excuse his behaviour but “went some way to explain it”.

This was shot down by Judge Tom Bayliss KC, who said he could not understand the correlation. He told Cantrell: “You were in a position of trust with that child. You tried to corrupt the child with gifts and then with money. It’s difficult to think of a more cynical and calculated attempt to sexually abuse a child.”