May 2015
Pervert sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who he thought was a ‘temptation’
A family man has avoided jail for sexually assaulting a “vulnerable” 14-year-old girl he befriended on Facebook
Robert Watts, 41, was ordered to undergo a sexual harm programme after he forcibly kissed the teenager who he claimed was a “temptation” to him.
A judge said it would be safer for the public for Watts, of Macbeth Close, Huntington, to do the treatment programme rather than spend a year in jail.
Sally Hobson, prosecuting, told Cambridge Crown Court that Watts and the victim had been chatting on Facebook before the assault took place.
She said: “(The girl) came to trust him. He was friendly toward her.
“On October 9 last year, he went to visit the family home and spent the evening chatting with her parents and having a laugh.
“When he came to leave, she asked him if he wanted her to walk him to his car – she was trying to be nice.”
As they walked, Watts grabbed the girl’s hand causing her to become scared.
He then asked her how old she was and whether she had a boyfriend before putting his arms around her and kissing her on the lips.
He then drove the victim, who was by then “extremely scared” and “breathless” back to her house and kissed her again.
Ms Hobson said: “He told her not to tell anyone as he would lose his family. He said: ‘I would lose everything.’
Once inside, the girl immediately told her parents who called the police.
Watts pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting a female at a hearing earlier this year.
Ms Hobson added: “The victim was an extremely vulnerable young lady who has suffered mental health difficulties.
“Her mum told police that after the assault, her daughter’s progress reverted to a stage not seen before.”
John Hallissey, mitigating, said: “This was not a devious plan to abuse a young girl or grooming in the traditional sense.
“The defendant is a man who does not understand the differences between adults and children.”
Sentencing Watts to a three-year community order, Judge Jonathan Haworth said: “I hope you now realise the real harm you have caused that child.
“I pass this sentence to protect children from your intentions.”