Man sent to prison for sex assault on girl (From Swindon Advertiser)

Man sent to prison for sex assault on girl

12:10pm Saturday 17th October 2009 in

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A 45-year-old man who sexually abused a schoolgirl after plying her with strong booze has been jailed for a year.

Robert Meade persuaded the girl to drink alcopops and vodka before undressing her, Swindon Crown Court heard yesterday.

Meade, who assaulted the child at his Wroughton home but now lives in Great Hinton, Trowbridge, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, said Meade had sent text messages to the girl, who was under 16, which labelled her ‘cute and pretty.’ Miss Marlow said Meade gave the secondary school aged girl a bottle of the alcopop WKD.

He then poured her another bottle into a glass and once she had drunk that he gave her a shot of vodka which she drank.

The girl was sick and passed out, and when she awoke she found she had been undressed down to her underwear and Meade wearing only his boxer shorts.

Meade told her he had needed to wash her clothes, but the girl noticed her jumper and trousers had not needed to be cleaned.

Miss Marlow said Meade was arrested a few days later, after his victim told someone at her school what had happened. Footage of the assault was later found on Meade’s mobile phone.

Police also recovered the girl’s bra and vest from his home and when they questioned him he answered ‘no comment’ to all their questions.

Michael Butt, defending, urged the court to pass a sentence which would allow his client to go on a sex offenders’ programme.

Judge Douglas Field described the girl as “vulnerable” and said: “I am sentencing you for a serious offence and it has these aggravating features.

“You were 45 and the disparity in your ages is considerable.

“She is then plied with strong drink.

“She has so much that she is comatose and you take advantage of this vulnerable girl in that state by undressing her.”

As well as jailing Meade for a year the judge disqualified him from ever working with children and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 10 years.