A former carer has been jailed for nearly three years for sexually assaulting a young girl and using covert video footage to spy on her in a state of undress.
Ian Thompson, 54, sexually assaulted the youngster at a property in Selby and surreptitiously videoed her when she was either naked or semi-dressed, York Crown Court heard.
The voyeurism offences came to light after Thompson’s arrest for the sexual assault.
Prosecutor Catherine Silverton said police analysed Thompson’s mobile phone and found indecent images of the girl on the device, along with sexual images of other children from the internet.
Thompson was charged with sexual assault, two counts of voyeurism, two counts of making indecent images of children and one count of taking or producing indecent images of the girl in Selby.
He initially denied the offences and was due to face trial in April next year but pleaded guilty during an intermediary court hearing earlier this year.
Ms Silverton said the girl was sexually assaulted in 2019 at around the time when Thompson was allegedly using his TikTok account to “follow young girls (aged) 15 to 18”.
The victim, who can’t be named for legal reasons, finally told her friend in 2021 that she had been sexually assaulted as “she couldn’t keep it in anymore”.
‘Horror’ experience
Thompson, who used to be homeless, was arrested but denied the offence. His phone was analysed by forensics officers who found “multiple videos of him setting up the mobile to covertly video the girl”.
He was brought back in for questioning but still made denials and refused to hand over the PIN code for the Google folder on his mobile.
However, police found several secretly filmed indecent images of the girl including three photos and four videos. They also found several indecent images of “unknown” children including girls between seven and 11 years of age.
Thompson, of New Millgate, Selby, appeared for sentence today when the court heard he had previous convictions for violence and acquisitive crime but nothing sexual-related.
Defence barrister Chris Dunn said Thompson had been working with an offender-prevention charity since his arrest and asked the court to spare his client prison so he could continue his rehabilitation.
However, he conceded that it was an “ugly case… and I appreciate there are some uncomfortable elements”.
Judge Simon Hickey noted the “marked effect” that Thompson’s seedy behaviour had had on the young girl and the “horror” she had experienced when she was sexually assaulted.
He said the evidence on Thompson’s phone showed he had a “clear interest in young females”.
Thompson was jailed for two years and ten months and made subject to a ten-year sexual-harm prevention order, which includes curbs on his internet activity. He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for life.