Ormskirk man sentenced for having sex with an under age girl

Jul 3 2009 by Michael Byrne, Ormskirk Advertiser

AN ORMSKIRK man who had consensual sex with an under age girl has been placed on a three year community order after the Judge said it was an exceptional case.

Andrew Howard, 28, of Edgley Drive, Skelmersdale, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court for two offences of sexual activity with a girl under 16.

He admitted the offences.

There was a suggestion in a pre sentence report of an element of targeting the girl and grooming her for sexual gratification.

After hearing evidence on the issue Judge Robert Brown said he was satisfied there was no targeting and no element of grooming.

Howard was a man of previous good character.

Miss Raquel Simpson, defending, said he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and accepted full responsibility for wrong doing.

Howard was made the subject of a three year community order involving supervision and a community sex offenders programme.

He will be on the sex offenders register for five years.

Judge Brown said the sexual activity occurred not long before the girl would have been able to give lawful consent. What took place had been consensual activity.

The judge told him: “This case, in my view, is exceptional. In my opinion, you are not a man who callously pursued the girl for sexual gratification.

“This is one of those exceptional cases in which the justice of the case can be met by the imposition of a community order”.