He later claimed she had told ‘horrible, wicked, terrible lies’ but he was convicted by a jury
Anthony Brown pictured outside Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
An electrician targeted a vulnerable young girl and groomed her with sweets and money – leaving her “overwhelmed and scared” by her upsetting ordeal. Anthony Brown told the girl that his sexual abuse would be “their secret” and he later pretended that the girl had told “horrible, wicked, terrible lies” about him, Hull Crown Court heard.
Brown, 59, of Bridlington, denied three offences of indecently assaulting the girl but he was convicted by a jury after a trial that finished on March 23. He was cleared of three other offences, including indecent assault and indecency with a child.
Stephen Robinson, prosecuting, said that Brown groomed the girl and bribed her before intimately touching her and telling her that it would be “their secret” and not to say anything. The girl had said: “He used to get me sweets” and she claimed that he would ask her what she wanted for her birthday, also as a bribe.
Brown would speak inappropriately to the girl. “She has been groomed by the defendant,” said Mr Robinson. “She says this was done for sweets or money.”
The girl told someone else what was happening and she twice went to the police. “She went to the police because it had happened,” said Mr Robinson.
“The defendant has behaved exactly as he is alleged to have done. She gave compelling evidence as to what has happened to her.
“She told others about it, not for attention but because she was trying to deal with it. She has given a reliable and compelling account.
“The defendant, on the other hand, is lying. He is throwing as much mud as possible in the hope that at least some of it will stick, making things up as he went along and obviously lying.”
Brown claimed that the girl had made up the allegations and persisted with them before lying to the police and the court, said Mr Robinson.
If Brown’s claims were true about her, it would mean that she had been telling “quite wicked, wicked lies” for no apparent reason at all. Brown had behaved as “something of a monster” in his behaviour.
The girl was “overwhelmed and scared” during an interview with the police. “She was scared by what had happened,” said Mr Robinson.
“She had been groomed and encouraged to keep this as a secret when she was very young.” The girl kept a diary journal, however, that she had been sexually abused by Brown.
“There is no reason for her to make this up and nothing to cause her to persist in saying these things,” said Mr Robinson. “She keeps talking to others about this.
“It keeps affecting her.” Brown’s evidence was “an exercise in evasion and mud slinging” and he “took every opportunity that he could to have a go” at the character of the girl.
“If he is right, she has told horrible, wicked, terrible lies about him,” claimed Mr Robinson. “He is doing his best to get out of this.”
During Brown’s defence evidence, Mr Robinson told him: “You sexually abused her.” Brown replied: “No, I didn’t. That’s rubbish. There was never any sexual behaviour towards her.”
Benjamin Donnell, mitigating, told a sentencing hearing that the sexual offending had a “profound effect” upon the victim. “These are deeply personal effects on her,” said Mr Donnell.
“There is no suggestion that, after these offences were committed, the defendant has continued to carry out similar behaviour to what was alleged here.” Brown led an “unblemished life over the intervening years” and he had been assessed as a low risk of reoffending and a medium risk of causing harm to children.
He had worked as an electrician and was highly thought of by colleagues. There were two references for him. He was in poor physical health.
Recorder Tony Watkin told the court: “There have been profound consequences for the victim in this case.” This was “directly attributable” to Brown and what he did to the girl.
Brown was jailed for five years and he will have to register as a sex offender for life. He had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody after the three guilty verdicts were returned.
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