Interior designer jailed for groping teenager.

A successful interior designer has been jailed for sexual activity with a vulnerable 15-year-old girl more than a decade ago.

Daniel Kelly, 40, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for two counts of sexual activity with a child, which occurred in 2011 when he was 29 years old. The offenses involved grooming the girl with sexually explicit messages, promising her alcohol and drugs, and engaging in physical contact.

According to court records, Kelly had previously been jailed in 2017 for two years for similar offenses. Despite his claims of remorse, Judge Peter Johnson expressed skepticism, stating that Kelly's denial of responsibility during the trial rendered his remorse "hollow."

The victim, who did not report the abuse to police until 2018, stated in court that she "hated" Kelly for his actions, which caused her deep emotional scars and recurring flashbacks.

The judge highlighted the manipulative nature of Kelly's actions, describing his behavior as that of a "Jack the Lad" who used alcohol to exploit the girl's youth and inexperience.

In addition to his prison sentence, Kelly was also issued a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.