Middle-aged Leeds pervert 'created fantasy world' with teenage girl
A middle-aged pervert who “created a fantasy world” with a teenage girl sexually assaulted the youngster which has left her emotionally scarred.
Edward Cullen had denied the matters but was found guilty of three counts after a trial at Leeds Crown Court. It was heard that the 44-year-old had touched the girl’s hand and her back and her thigh over her clothing.
It was heard that while giving evidence during the trial, Cullen had contradicted himself leaving his reasoning “fatally flawed”.
Judge Andrew Stubbs KC gave Cullen a suspended sentence, but was scathing in his remarks about the offending. He told him: “The evidence was overwhelming. Such was your arrogance that you were unable to accept what you had done was wrong.
“There is only one reason why you are in this position and that‘s you. You created a fantasy world as a 40-year-old targeting and grooming a 14-year-old. You created a world where the two of you were madly in love.
“You got her alone so we could touch her for you own sexual excitement. The realisation [of the victim] of what you were doing to her has had a significant impact.”
The court was told that the young girl had suffered “severe psychological harm”, had anxiety and depression and suffered from nightmares and insomnia. She had also self harmed. Cullen, of The Hollings, Methley, would give her gifts and “engineered” time alone with her.
Mitigating, Glenn Parsons said: “He wants to say, through me, that he is very sorry for what he put her through. Planly, he is somebody who needs help, first and foremost.
“If ever there was somebody who cried out for the assistance to understand his own mental frailties, it’s Edward Cullen. The reasons he gave [in court] were fatally flawed from start to finish.”
Judge Stubbs gave him two years’ jail, suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days. He gave hima 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) banning him from unsupervised contact with children under 16.
He was also put on the sex offender register for 10 years, and given an indefinite-length restraining order to keep him away from the victim.