Description
A Bedford man has been jailed for grooming a girl into sexual activity in exchange for money and drugs.
Robert Brookes, 37, gave the victim cocaine and cannabis on a regular basis before offering to pay her cash if she engaged in sexual activity with him.
He also befriended a friend of the victim over social media and attempted to groom her in the same way.
Brookes came to our attention when a relative of the victim saw the messages that he had sent to her.
After a lengthy investigation, Brookes was found guilty of two counts of causing/inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, two counts of supplying a Class A drug and two counts of offering to supply cocaine.
He was sentenced today (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court to six years and three months.
Detective Constable David Widdicombe from our Protecting Vulnerable People team said:
“Brookes is a vile individual who took advantage of a young girl in the worst possible way, so I am pleased he has received a custodial sentence.
“The victim was very brave telling us what happened, and I hope she is now able to move on from this chapter in her life.
“Combatting violence against women and girls is a huge focus in policing. We are working tirelessly to put abusers behind bars and this case should serve as a warning to other perpetrators that we will do whatever it takes to bring a case to court and get justice for victims.
“Sadly, we are seeing an increase in reports of grooming – these predators build a relationship with the victim either in person or online to gain their trust before taking advantage of them.
“Grooming can happen both in person and online, often by a stranger, but it can also be someone your child knows. It can be difficult to tell if your child is being groomed – the signs aren't always obvious and may be hidden - therefore we are encouraging parents or carers to familiarise themselves with some of the signs to look out for and to talk to their children and let them know they can come to you if something happens to them that doesn’t feel right.”