Locations
Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN3
Description
Following his appearance at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, 5 December, a man has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars, and handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Restraining Order for attempting to rape, grooming, and sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl over a prolonged period of time.
After a seven-day trial in October 2025, Patrik Seidenglanz, 50-years-old, from Grimsby, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault, attempted rape, assault by penetration, and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
Seidenglanz first came to officers’ attention in May 2025 when a 14-year-old girl and a family member came into Victoria Street Police Station in Grimsby to disclose that Seidenglanz had attempted to rape her and touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions.
An investigation was immediately launched by our Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, and after the victim named Seidenglanz as the offender, he was swiftly arrested at his home address on suspicion of sexual assault by penetration.
His phone was seized as part of initial enquiries, and following an analysis by our Digital Forensics Unit, correspondence between the teenager and Seidenglanz uncovered he had been grooming the 14-year-old girl over a number of months.
Whilst in custody and during interview, Seidenglanz denied any knowledge of the allegations put to him, saying that the girl was a liar, and claimed he was the one who had been sexually assaulted by the teenager instead.
In all other interviews thereafter, Seidenglanz answered no comment to any questions asked.
Leading the investigation from our Protecting Vulnerable People Unit was Detective Constable Enea Luciano, who said: “The 14-year-old girl has been subjected to unimaginable crimes at the hands of a perverted individual.
“I admire her and her family for taking that brave first step and coming forward to report Seidenglanz’s detestable behaviour, it is because of their courage he is now behind bars for a very long time.
“Seidenglanz even continued to maintain an element of control by forcing the teenager and her family to endure a trial, making what was already an extremely complex and lengthy investigation, even longer and retraumatizing.
“He is a cruel and depraved individual, and whilst the result here does not take away the pain and suffering the girl and her family must now live with, I hope it provides some reassurance that he is in prison and unable to harm anyone else.
“It is never the victim’s fault, and we would urge anyone who has been subjected to crimes of this nature, or anyone who believes these crimes may be taking place, to please come forward and tell someone.
“We take any report of sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will do everything we can to hold offenders like Seidenglanz accountable for their despicable actions.”