Man sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student on her way home

A detective described a man’s sexual perversions as “vile and monstrous” after he was jailed for two sexual assaults, one on a 13-year-old student who was walking home.

Ken Lee was sentenced to two years in prison at Grimsby Crown Court after attacking the girl on a street in Grimsby. He later exposed himself to female officers while in Birchin Way custody.

Lee, 45, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a child, one of sexual assault and one of indecent exposure, as well as a further charge of stealing a bicycle worth £2,000.

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Christopher Dunn, prosecuting, told how Lee was walking in Grimsby on May 12 last year when he pushed a woman against a wall in an alley before sexually assaulting her. Despite his arrest, the police took no action against him.

In another incident on November 20, also in Grimsby, he tricked a 13-year-old girl into helping him look for something in his bag before sexually abusing her.

After his arrest, Lee was taken into custody where he indecently exposed himself to officers. Mr Dunn said a routine search was carried out on the defendant at the detention center during which he dropped his jogging trousers and exposed himself. Two female police officers were present during the search, which was carried out by a male officer. While in custody, he also threatened violence against people who accused him of crimes.

Mr Dunn read out a victim impact statement from the student, who told how she had trouble sleeping and suffered from panic attacks. She was afraid to leave the house and constantly looked around to prevent another attack. The attack had interrupted their training. “No 13-year-old girl should have to feel like this,” she said.

The prosecutor also told of the bike being stolen from the back yard of Taco Bell in Cleethorpes on June 20 last year after an employee locked his bike at work. Lee picked up discarded food from the trash cans. He returned to steal the bike, which was valued at £2,000 and was never recovered.

For Lee, Craig Lowe said his client had been crime-free for large parts of his life. He said he had a “chaotic lifestyle” and abused drugs.

Sentencing Lee, Judge Richard Woolfall said the “horrific” attack on the 13-year-old had a significant impact on her mental wellbeing. He jailed Lee for two years and ordered him to be placed on the sex offenders register for ten years. An injunction was also imposed prohibiting him from contacting the complainants directly or indirectly for five years.

After the sentencing hearing, Humberside Police Detective Lucy Proctor-Eckley said: “This is about someone committing vile and monstrous acts and being sent to prison and it takes into account the significant impact on such a young child.”

She added: “It’s been a long time coming and it’s about getting the right outcome for the victims.”

At an earlier hearing, she praised the victims for their commitment and for “the bravery and bravery they have shown throughout the course of the investigation.”

She said: “We take all reports of sexual offenses extremely seriously and will continue to do everything we can to ensure offenders are brought to justice.”

“It is never the victim’s fault and I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offense to please report it to us. “If you are ready, we will listen to you, believe you and support you.

“If you have any concerns or information about sexual offenses, please call us on our non-emergency number 101. In an emergency, always dial 999. Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”