MAN JAILED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

A man has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of grooming and repeatedly engaging in sexual acts with a teenage girl in Suffolk.

Philip Hares, 41, of Trevelyan Road in Cornwall, was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, September 25, roughly five years after the offences took place.

He faced trial for three child sex-related charges and had pleaded not guilty earlier this year in January.

The court heard that Hares had engaged in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 14 and 15 in the town of Lowestoft.

He was found guilty of two counts involving sexual penetration of a girl aged 13 to 15, with one charge relating to repeated sexual acts, including intercourse, and another involving penetration of the girl’s vagina with an object.

Hares was also convicted of meeting a child after grooming her sexually.

It was alleged that he had communicated with her, knowing she was under 16, before intentionally meeting her to commit a sexual offense.

Her Honour Judge Leigh sentenced Hares to five years in prison for his conduct.