Damien Hughes Jailed For Six-And-A-Half Years After Grooming Underage Girl Online

Damien Hughes, a man from Halifax, has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for sexually abusing an underage girl.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Hughes groomed the teenager online, creating a fake Instagram account under the name "Simon" to contact her. Over several months, their conversations became increasingly sexualized, with Hughes sending explicit videos and encouraging the girl to send him nude photos. He also persuaded her to meet him in person for sex despite knowing she was underage.

The abuse took place on three separate occasions during school holidays, with Hughes having sex with the girl in his car twice. The teenager tried to end the relationship but Hughes manipulated her by expressing sadness and claiming he would miss her.

The situation came to light when a relative of the girl discovered messages from Hughes on her phone. They responded pretending to be the teenager, leading to an investigation that uncovered sexually explicit content and messages arranging meetings. Upon arrest, Hughes refused to answer questions.

Evidence obtained from his phone and CCTV footage confirmed his movements and encounters with the victim. A forensic examination of his car also revealed evidence of sexual activity. The teenager identified Hughes in an identity parade, but he denied the charges until a jury found him guilty.

In her victim impact statement, the teenager described feeling "very worried, anxious, and intimidated" by Hughes' actions. She revealed she had undergone therapy to cope with the trauma and suffered from trust issues that impacted her relationships. She stated: "Each day I must live with the memories and flashbacks of what he did to me."

Sentencing Hughes, Mr Recorder Andrew Haslam KC noted his denial of the crimes despite overwhelming evidence. He imposed a six-and-a-half year prison sentence, a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, and mandated Hughes' registration as a sex offender for life.