A paedophile who groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl has been jailed.
Carl Thomas, 39, committed the offences in Bacup in 2022.
He admitted four counts of sexual activity with a child, two of making indecent photographs of a child, three charges of possession of indecent photograph of a child and one of witness intimidation.
Thomas, of Albert Street, Todmorden, appeared at Preston Crown Court on August 8 and was jailed for six years and given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
In a victim personal statement, the girl, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, said the abuse had turned her world upside down and left her feeing guilty and ashamed and blaming herself for what had happened.
Det Con Lois Turner, from Lancashire Police’s Child Protection Team, said: “Thomas groomed and then abused his teenage victim for his own sexual gratification, and I welcome this sentence.
“I would like to commend this victim for having the bravery to come forward and report what happened, and I hope that this might give others the courage to do the same, safe in the knowledge that we will investigate professionally and sensitively.”
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