Married Turnford man fined £1,500 for indecently assaulting schoolgirl
A 51 year old man who indecently assaulted a 14 year old school girl has been fined £1,500 and told his name will go on the Sex Offenders Register.
In addition, Gary Saunders, 51, of Cassandra Gate, Turnford, was told he was barred from working with children.
During his trial at St Albans Crown Court, the jury heard his victim waited years before telling her mother she had been indecently assaulted by Saunders in his car.
Twelve years after being driven to woods by him, the victim – who had married and had her own family – finally told her mum Saunders had kissed and groped her.
Giving her evidence she said when her ordeal ended and she was getting out of his car, Saunders told her: “You best not tell anyone about this. It will be our secret.”
The woman, who is now 33, said she was 14 years old when Saunders assaulted her.
Saunders, a married man, pleaded not guilty to two offences of indecently assaulting the woman almost 19 years ago on October 7 1994.
Laura Blackband, prosecuting, said that a party was held which was attended by Saunders and his wife.
The victim told the jury she remembered the night because she came across Saunders sitting on the stairs and he appeared to be crying.
She said when she asked him what was wrong, he said there was no one he could talk to and then asked if he could talk to her.
“I said of course you can and he said ‘Not here, will you meet me tomorrow?,” she said.
The woman recalled coming home from school the next day and changing out of her uniform, before going to meet Saunders in Broxbourne.
She told the jury she still had no idea what he wanted to talk to her about, but got in Saunders’ car and then he drove to nearby Wormley Woods.
“I knew I was in trouble the moment he turned into the woods,” she told the court.
She said they stopped in a lay-by and he turned the car engine off.
“He started telling me I was very pretty and he would like to kiss me,” she said.
“I was quite frightened.”
She continued: “He kissed me in a full kiss kind of way – a snog with tongues.
“I did feel I had to kiss him back and play along.
“Then he started touching my boobs over my jumper.
“He may have grabbed both my breasts.”.
The woman said Saunders told her he wanted to remove her knickers.
At that point she told him she wanted things to stop.
“He sat back in a bit of a huff and was obviously quite disappointed I had wasted his time,” the victim added.
Moments later when she got out of the car she said the defendant told her: “You best not tell anyone about this. It will be our secret.”
The woman said she got married and in early 2006 told her mother for the first time what had happened.
She said her mother eventually contacted the police in 2011.
The defendant told the jury that nothing untoward had happened in the car with the girl, but he was found guilty and was fined £750 on each of the offences.
