The behaviour was ‘deeply inappropriate’ towards her, a court heard
Sean Lawton denied sexual communication with a child but was convicted by a jury after a trial(Image: Hull Live)
A motor mechanic unplugged his headphones and forced a teenage girl to listen to noises from x-rated pornography that he had just been watching. Sean Lawton made “inappropriate observations and remarks” to the girl and cracked jokes about what was going on in the sex scenes, leaving her feeling “uncomfortable”.
He “turned up the volume” on the tablet that he was using for the sex video and he was “wanting” her to know what he was watching. She hurriedly escaped from the scene and the police later arrested him, Hull Crown Court heard.
Lawton, 53, of West Promenade, Driffield, denied sexual communication with a child but he was convicted by a jury after a trial that finished on July 16. He was cleared of two offences of sexual assault and another of assault by penetration.
Jazmine Lee, prosecuting, said that Lawton treated the girl like a “sexual object” and he “took his chance” with her. His behaviour towards her was described as “sinister” and he made sexualised comments to her. “He mentioned topics that were not suitable to talk about,” said Miss Lee.
The girl said during her evidence that she saw Lawton watching something on a tablet. “I asked him what he was watching and he said ‘porn’,” she said. Lawton made her sit down, unplugged his headphones from the tablet that he was using and turned up the sound so that she could hear what was going on in the sex video.
“He unplugged his headphones like he was wanting me to hear what was on,” she said. “He put the tablet on and increased the volume.
“He made jokes about it and asked if I watched it.” She felt “uncomfortable” about what was happening. The court heard Lawson also spoke about other sexual matters and behaviour and he showed the girl sex-related things.
The girl reported the matters and the police later became involved. During police interview, Lawton denied that anything sexual happened.
During his defence evidence, Lawton told the court: “There was never anything sexual between us. I never discussed pornography. I did watch porn but I did not show her any.”
He claimed that the girl was lying. “I felt shellshocked,” he claimed. “I have absolutely no idea why she would make these allegations.”
He had worked as a motor mechanic and he had no previous convictions, the court heard. At a sentencing hearing, Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Lawton had been convicted of a “fairly limited matter”.
Deputy circuit judge Timothy Clayson said that there was no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour by Lawton to anyone else.
The behaviour was “deeply inappropriate” towards her. “Your work ended as a result of this conviction,” said the deputy circuit judge.
“You can safely be managed in the community. You have no previous convictions. You must keep the police notified of your whereabouts for the next ten years.”
Lawton was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and 30 days’ rehabilitation. He must register as a sex offender for ten years.
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