Haunted mum of girl abused by Snapchat predator tells court: 'He robbed her teenage years'
Pervert filmed himself abusing the girl in his car
A predator who convinced a girl on Snapchat he was just 17 then filmed himself abusing her in his car.
Liam Heckler, who is now 27, was jailed this week after admitting 17 sex offences.
The girl’s mother, haunted by horrified images she found on her daughter’s phone, told Leeds Crown Court that Heckler had “taken her innocence” and “robbed her teenage years”.
The court heard that Heckler contacted the youngster on Snapchat.
The girl’s mother found an exchange of messages between her and Heckler, so called the police.
Following his arrest, indecent footage of his phone was found showing him abusing the girl.
A victim impact statement, written by the girl’s mother and read to the court by prosecutor Jayne Beckett, said: “He has robbed her of her teenage years. He brainwashed her to believe that her family and friends were the enemy.
“She told me she feels worthless. The ongoing effects will resonate for years to come.
“We live with the emotional strain every day. As a parent, it’s heartbreaking having to see her in pain.
“He took away her innocence.
“He is a child-sex offender and is a risk to children.”
Heckler, of Dorman Avenue, Upton, admitted two counts of sexual communication with a child, five of making indecent images of a child, three of penetrative sexual activity with a child, three of permitting indecent images of a child and three of taking indecent images of a child.
He has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Andrew Stranex said Heckler had made early admissions and there had been no further offending.
He added: “This process has been a salutary lesson for him.”
Judge Howard Crowson jailed Heckler for 11 years, put him on the sex offender register for life and gave him a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.