Pensioner told girl not to tell anyone about assault
A PENSIONER assaulted a young girl, kissed her on the neck and told her that he wanted to see her breasts, a court has heard.
Distraught by what happened, the victim – who was under the age of 13 at the time of the incident – later told her parents and an investigation was launched.
Leslie Donald Clarkson, 73, carried out the assault when he was living in Pembrokeshire.
Clarkson, now of Heol Newydd, Penlan, Swansea, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching before he appeared at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday.
In court, prosecution barrister Dean Pulling detailed how Clarkson put his hands on the young girl’s legs and said that he wanted to see her breasts.
The girl – who cannot be identified – “just froze and didn’t know what to do”.
Clarkson then “put his arms around her and started kissing her neck”, before telling her not to tell anyone, not even her friends.
Mr Pulling read a statement to the court in which the victim detailed how she has suffered from anxiety and seen her sleep disrupted since the incident.
“There are times when I just cry about what happened,” she said.
In mitigation, defence barrister Stuart John said his client has shown remorse for his actions and had behaved in an “exemplary manner” during the investigation.
He also told the court how Clarkson had been married for 50 years but now lives a “solitary lifestyle” since details of his offending became known.
Addressing Clarkson in court, Judge Huw Rees said: “The seriousness of this offending cannot be lost on you and is not lost on you.
“You are obviously contrite if not devastated by what you have done; you have already suffered the consequences.”
Judge Rees added the offending was so serious that only immediate imprisonment would serve as appropriate punishment, and handed Clarkson a sentence of 16 months in prison, with half to be served inside and the remainder on licence.
Clarkson is also required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for a period of 10 years.
A restraining order was also put in place by the judge, prohibiting Clarkson from making any contact with his victim for a period of 10 years.